Appleman Chap. 4

"This is a particularly appropriate moment in the history of literacy education to introduce Marxist literary theory into our classrooms" (p. 59). Although I haven't even heard of the Marxist lens until about two weeks ago, I feel that examining political and social issues, especially the issue of class or socioeconomic status, is very important. It seems that nearly every novel has some ties to the issue of class struggle, usually the struggle for power during times of affliction or great prosperity. The catalyst of this struggle is clearly competing ideologies, which is also a part of Marxist criticism. One group or class is always seen as superior/inferior to others, and this is no different in American society today and throughout history. Those who have money have power. It is useful to examine this phenomenon because our students inevitably come from various social classes; Appleman seconds this by stating "As we acknowledge the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of the students who will read and discuss literary texts together, we also might acknowledge the need to consider particular issues of race and class deliberately and thoughtfully" (p. 59). Whenever issues of class are discussed, like the students talking about Hamlet, I feel there may be some resistance by students to talk about their own economic statuses. How do we as teachers avoid students becoming afraid to talk about their social classes, or should this issue of "uncomfortabilty" with one's own social class be directly exploited?