Base and Superstructure in Marxist Cultural Theory (Essay Sample)

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A Critique of Lowell’s For the Union Dead using Williams Base and Superstructure in Marxist Cultural Theory
Literally, texts are best understood in the context of a theory or a theoretical model. Following is a discussion of the Base and superstructure in Marxist cultural theory by Raymond Williams and For the Union Dead poem by Robert Lowell. This is done by identifying a pair of quotes from the theory text and from the primary text. A quote from the theory and a corresponding quote from the primary text- not necessarily in meaning but for the purposes of using them hand in hand in this paper will be very useful (Williams).
The following are quotes from the texts. From the base and superstructure in Marxist cultural theory is: “We have to revalue ‘superstructure’ towards a related range of cultural practices, and away from a reflected, reproduced or specifically dependent content. And , crucially, we have to revalue ‘the base’ away from the notion of a fixed economic or technological abstraction, and towards the specific activities of men in real life social and economic relationships, containing fundamental contradictions and variations and therefore always in a state of dynamic process.” (Williams). This is a great quote as a close reading of the assay revealed. I found it noble to pair it with a quote from the “For the Union Dead”. The pairing quote is “He rejoices in man's lovely, peculiar power to choose life and die—“(Lowell)
Not only did I come up with one pair of quotes. I came up with second pair of quotes. From the Base and Superstructure in Marxist Cultural Theory second quote is: “What seems to me very strikingly is that nearly all forms of contemporary critical theories are theories of consumption. That is to say, they are concerned with understanding an object in such a way that it can profitably or correctly be consumed.” This quote is paired with a quote from For the Union Dead. The quote is: “Shaw's father wanted no monument except the ditch, where his son's body was thrown and lost with his "niggers."” (Lowell)
Many are the times literally, criticism tends to concentrate too much on the parts and the components that make any work of art. Yes, this can be to some extent true as far as paintings, carvings and such art forms. By a mere look at them, one can be able to tell a thing or two. One ca form imaginary pictures no matter whether they are abstract about the society, the people, the culture depicted by the artwork. This too may tell something about the intellectual acumen and technical expertise that characterize the artist in question (Vendler).
On the other hand, there are some forms of art that requires some deeper and more analytical approach to be able to understand and appreciate them better. Looking merely at a story, a poem or a novel may not help one in grasping the message behind it. This is why theories are quite important. When we talk of theories, one would note that most theorists would opt to pay much attention to the form, and hence the components. It is not bad though. An attempt to go beyond the component to the idea of practice and process is much better. This is what this paper will demonstrate henceforth.
Marx attempted to explain what he meant by ‘productive work’ in his Grundise as Williams tells us in his essay. Marx gave an analogy of a maker of a piano, a distributor of the piano and finally the player of the piano. To Marx, though Williams objects to him, he said that the piano player does not d any work while the former two actually does productive work. Williams quoted him to help explain further what he meant by the terms ‘superstructure,’ and the ‘base’. The superstructure is actually the pianist while the maker of the piano is the ‘base’. If human beings were only supposed to be productive workers, then pianist in the piano example ought to be disciplined for being lazy, useless member of the society, at least as inferred from Marx explanation. The only people that ought to be rewarded are the makers and distributors of pianos as they appear to be actively engaged in the process of production. Here the final reason of making the piano is unrecognized. The piano is not just a display flower but it s supposed to be acted upon by a certain expert to make life more valuable than when it was just an idle piano. Here the superstructure is sacrificed t the expense of the base.
In For the Union of the Dead, the base should never overlap the superstructure by brutally failing to recognize that there is more to the component of the text. Different forms of critical an analysis and appreciations have appeared at one time and more since the first presentation of the poem by Robert Lowell himself during the Boston Art Festival in June 1960. It has been looked as a family poem and a historical; poem by others among many other possible twists.
It is true to some extent that ‘From the Union Dead’ chronicles some important historical events such as the killing of a young civil war man from Boston Colonel Robert G. Shaw in 1856. Yes, he was killed together with his war troop in Fort Wagner. This fallen hero is so much reminisced in this text. Nevertheless, Lowell is not much interested in accurately recording historical happenings; he goes beyond mere history to demonstrate how a different circumstance in a span of history shapes other real and likely events in the present and the future. When “he rejoices in man’s lovely power to choose” (Lowell), the reality of confusion and contradiction sets in. Robert Gauld Shaw, the reminisced voice in the poem, would not have wanted to be killed in the battlefront with his men. If truly he [as a man] possessed that lovely power by all men to choose, he and his regimens would have preferred to live. It is ironical that one can choose life and then spend life jeopardizing the same life knowingly in war.
As William’s notes in the quote, it is quite noble to move away from the abstract and engage in specific activities of men in real socio-economic relationships. Most of these relationships, William further notes, have a lot of contradictions and variations. Shaw would like to live and would like to die as well; he would like to be understood as normal human being prone to human imminent dangers on one side and a courageous young man out to challenge any obstacle heroically. As evidenced in these two quotes, the reality of contradictions and variations is clear. They are have been discussed together to show the human nature and internal conflicts that can haunt one eve in old age. The dynamic process of the inner conflict is well advanced in the text. Shaw harbors so many unfulfilled childhood desires. Are they finally fulfilled?
To be able to further understand these complexities, childhood desires inclusive, let me now discuss the second pair of quotes. This pair of quotes is important because each quote seem to highlight the opinions. Raymond Williams invites the reader to share with him his take on all the theories including the Marxist Cultural Theory. In the primary text, Lowell invites the reader to listen to the condolence of Shaw...