Marxists Views in Relation with Goodnight Desdemona - Thesis Example

Marxist’s Views in Relation with Goodnight Desdemona (Good morning Juliet). Where the word ‘class’ has created a division between the society for many years, due to the preconceived notions of the people, the works of the Canadian writer Anne-Marie McDonald have always reflected her thoughts regarding this notion. She succeeds in portraying the many forms in what ways the issues of class have surfaced themselves. Her play, Goodnight Desdemona (Good morning Juliet) has been written, though not directly addressing this topic, but has dealt with issues pertaining to class. Many instances in Anne-Marie McDonald’s book can be related to Marxist’s approaches and his theory on social class. Karl Marx’s theory of social class states that one class exists as to dominate, lead and control the ‘modes of production’ while the other class produces and provides services to the dominant classes, taking their orders. The dominant classes also impose a particular cultural and political style as they do not only control modes of production, but production of ideas as well. As Marx puts it, we are “an ensemble of social relations”, living our lives made up of social relations which have inequality in many ways. This inequality has not only displayed itself in the shape of racial discrimination but also through patriarchy in a broader sense. Karl Marx believed that one’s social class dictated one’s social life as well. If one belonged to an upper class, he would live a lavish life and the people belonging to lower classes would be deprived of all the advantages. The factor which controlled who would fit where in the social hierarchy where, was determined by the fact that who was in control of the resources of the state. This can lead to class resentment. When Othello promoted Cassio, who belonged to an upper class, to a much desired position in place of Iago, he declared it being one of the reasons he hated the Moor (Stevenson 2008). According to Marx, the working class is exploited by the capitalists for gaining their own advantages. This capitalist urge for profits is also responsible for giving women a lower class status in the society. In the working sector, women are discriminated. When women entered the paid labor force, Marx viewed it as the first step towards women’s liberation from the exploitation and their dependency on men, wherein at first they had been completely powerless to the hands of patriarchal society. But it cannot be denied that they are still bonded in class oppression when working with male workers (Helen n.d). Marx believed that ruling class oppresses the women; they relegate them to a second class status in the society as well as in the family and also that the “bourgeoisies see in their wives a mere instrument of production…” (Smith 2013). But the play Goodnight Desdemona (Good morning Juliet) does a good job in advocating the feminist approach which complies with the staunch belief of Marx regarding women’s liberation. The three feminist heroines of the play are the symbols of feminism which represent this theory. Anne-Marie McDonald has shown in her play women having switched gender roles, females having strong characters and having complete independence from men. While the Shakespearean tragedies portrayed the women who were generally victims to the men’s actions, the present play successfully enables female characters to take roles which were considered masculine. During the play, Juliet takes a dominating role and tries to seduce Constance. She no longer cries in the love for Romeo and uses the lines of Romeo, “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Constance the Sun!” to win the heart of Constance. She gets weary of her husband on her wedding night and says “love’s first keen edge grows dull with use and craves another grinding” and is in search for a new love during the feast of her wedding night. After meeting Constance she mistakes her for a boy and says “Hail, Roman Cupid that hath heard my cries, and sent Greek Eros to benight mine eyes!”. Juliet is shown to be determined to win Constance’s heart. Given her character in the Shakespearean play, being very innocently mature and sensitive, she would have killed herself on Constance’s rejection but she did not. Although the classic Juliet had been young, the love she had for Romeo was pure and true and she in the end had killed herself. Her character as we can see has taken a sweeping turn and her boldness is commendable. She no longer assumes the role of the depressed Juliet who kills herself. This is how a woman is portrayed to have strength. The other heroin, Desdemona is also portrayed as a brave and strong woman. Lady Constance comments on Desdemona by saying “Desdemona, I thought you were different; I thought you were my friend. I worshipped you. But you are just like Othello-gullible and violent.” Desdemona participates in the war and returns with holding a bloody head of a man saying “Behold what I have plucked off the beach!” She reflects traits of masculinity within her and also attempts to kill Constance herself, without anyone’s help. She was frequently seen to be involved in sword fighting which is often associated with being masculine. At one instance she also expresses that “My sole regret—that heaven had not made me such a man.” The original classic Desdemona has been altered by McDonald who could serve to Constance as a role model who is in the process of rediscovering herself and rediscovering her courage, following the setbacks she received that Constance’s love interest Claude Night announced his engagement and also took up a coveted post at the Oxford University. In this play the women are not shown to be submissive to their husbands at all. They take decisions for themselves. When Iago tries to convince Desdemona that Constance is involved in witchcraft since she is not married, she accepts her being unmarried, which shows that she believes independent women who live life in celibacy do exist (Penn 2014). Depicting a patriarchal society, McDonald, who in her play has shown her female characters to have an empowered attitude, despite being surrounded by men who still cling to imposing a dominant behavior over women, has advocated feminism greatly throughout. The leading character of the play, Lady Constance Ledbelly is a teacher who teaches Shakespearean literature, challenges the trite theories held by her boss about Shakespearean works. Her play also includes two other heroines, changing Shakespearean Othello’s Desdemona to a warrior and she also changed Juliet’s character to a determined and courageous lesbian. What serves as the source of patriarchy in the play is Lady Constance’s condescending boss, who also serves as her love interest (Stevenson 2008). The play includes the protagonist Lady Constance who teaches at the Queen’s university and writes essays for his boss which are published under his name. His boss tries on imposing a feminine role onto her, while asking her to type her essays as well, as he tries to downgrade her to the post of secretary since this type of work is usually done by secretaries and always women are associated with this ordinary role. The remarks of his boss, Claude, tell us about his naturally authoritative character. He undermines Constance’s intellect by saying that she possesses an “interesting little mind”. Further reinforcing his dominance over her, he says “I do wish you’d learn to type, my dear”. When Constance narrates the story of her pet Parakeet which fell off 5 stories and died, she implied that she has conformed to the men’s patriarchal attitude and can not fully spread her wings like her Parakeet. Her dialogue: “in a field like [hers] that’s so well trod, you run the risk of contradicting men who’ve risen to the rank of sacred cow” explains her thoughts clearly. Where the women contribute to the main roles in the play, males in Goodnight Desdemona (Good morning Juliet) are not in spotlight as much as the female characters. Othello for example, disappears after two scenes. The male characters have reserved somewhat a negative character in the play. For example Tybalt attempts to kill Constance and Romeo becomes a delusional erotomaniac. Claude Night, Constance’s boss resorts to publishing ghost written essays by Constance, taking advantage of her. He calls her his “little titmouse”, his “pet, “old girl” and insubordinately asks her to help him clean his shelf: “What’s your schedule like day after tomorrow? I hoped you’d help pack my books.” Gradually, Constance has also been shown to become more assertive and bold. This can be seen in her dialogues: “Dear God, I could have murdered that poor man. I saw a flash of red before my eyes. I felt a rush of power through my veins. I tasted iron blood inside my mouth. I loved it!” (Vandermeersch 2009). By meeting Desdemona and Juliet, Constance was able to discover her ‘warrior’ and ‘lover’ self and emerges “from the crucible of experience a stronger, more self-confident woman and scholar.” Her ideas about Desdemona and Juliet were more about how she perceived herself, but just caught between her own insecurities, low self esteem which had been induced in her through how she was treated at her University by her students and specially Claude Night. She reveals she was called “laughingstock”, “just a little wimp” and “big joke”. Patriarchal determinism refers to the inevitable outcome of women’s life, as controlled by men. McDonald addresses this idea in her play when Claude Night decides to take the post at Oxford University and then goes about telling Constance that he has “lined up lovely post for [her] in Regina.” Over here, it is Claude who has already determined that where Constance will go. Another instance where patriarchal determinism is addressed is when Constance tells Desdemona that she has been described as “doomed and helpless victim” in the literary world. Challenging this idea of patriarchal determinism, McDonald tries to incorporate turn of events which will portray the empowerment of women in her play. When Desdemona is called a helpless victim, she replies that “Did I not flee my father”, telling that she defied a major patriarchal element in her society. Towards the end, Constance saves the lives of the two women, taking out them from their possibly ill fated, patriarchal determinism inflicted future. She informs Othello that Desdemona is not unfaithful as she discovers how unscrupulous Iago is and she also resolved the issue between Tybalt and Romeo which would have eventually led to the tragedy ("1000 Books In 10 Years” n.d.). Reforming Shakespearean plays in her own way, McDonald has succeeded in addressing these core issues in her work. As we know that in order to understand Marxism, concept of capitalism is important. This economic system, which creates two classes, makes the upper class exploit the lower class in any way they can in order to increase their profits. There exists a conflict between the workers and the capitalists, where capitalists have an advantage since they control means of production. The exploitation can only be ended if the capitalists are overthrown by the working class. The workers can unite against the capitalists but their disunity can lead to their ineffectiveness in challenging them. Therefore, the capitalists attempt to divide the working class by racism, by dividing the black and the white people (Bohmer 1998). Throughout the years, people have been classed based on their racial identity and race has become an important determinant for class. McDonald reflects on this issue in her play specifically through Othello. While some differences are ignored as ethnic differences by characters, particular differences between groups sum up to the segregation created on the basis of race. For example, as Stevenson also describes in her article, some social practices can lead to the construction of “race” as well, on whose basis people discriminate. McDonald incorporates some of these behaviors in her play too, with help of Othello. At first Othello is esteemed, being a good General in Venice for example by Barabantio held him in high regard. Barabantio’s attitude towards Othello changes as Othello runs away with Desdemona. The fact that people discriminate each other on basis of color, race etc is depicted by the scene when Barabantio assumes that Othello will “disrelish and abhor” Desdemona since she is darker in color than him. He had thought Othello will not be attracted to a “sooty bosom”, which also shows people form their sexual orientations based on races and color. Works Cited Stevenson, Melani E Α . "Othello, Darwin, and the Evolution of Race in Ann Marie MacDonalds Work." 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. . "1000 Books In 10 Years: Vol. 303: Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliette), by Ann-Marie MacDonald."Literary Ramblings. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. . Gilbert, Helen. "Intro to Marxist Feminism." - The Feminist EZine. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. . Smith, Sharon. "Marxism, Feminism and Womens Liberation." SocialistWorker.org. 21 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. . Penn, Laura. "Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet." Prezi.com. 20 July 2014. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. . Vandermeersch, Tine. "Bending and Blending Shakespeare: Tribute or Iconoclasm?" 1 Aug. 2009. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. . Bohmer, Peter. "Marxist Theory of Racism and." Marxist Theory of Racism and. 20 Dec. 1998. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. . Read More