Marxist Perspective on A Freedom Song - Essay Example

In focusing on the different social statuses of the characters represented in the poem, the critic will point out the various ways in which Atieno is essentially a slave to her older and more successful relative.  This difference in social status equates to a significant difference in expected responsibilities as Atieno, at only 8 years old, is expected to perform all the basic functions of the house making it possible for the speaker’s wife, the child’s aunt, to sit all day and sew.  This gives the impression that the wife’s chores are not as heavy or as tiring as those given to the niece.  This kind of difference in expectations is what Marx points to when he indicates that the lower classes will rise against perceived injustices in the division of labor to reward. 

This idea is given voice as the speaker asks, “Don’t I keep her, the school my ones / Pay the party, union fee” (20-21).  Because she has no power of her own and no real chance of escaping her situation, Atieno rebels against her system the only way she knows how.  This speaks directly to Marx’s theory that when the laboring classes have finally had enough of capitalist gain being withheld, they will cease to perform until more equitable terms have been made available. 

Finally, the Marxist critic is likely to take a look at the misery of the lower classes as it is reflected in the lives of all the characters mentioned.  Although Atieno is the worst-off among the cast, there are hints throughout the poem that all is not well with the host family, either.  The wife spends all day sewing, but “with her earnings, I support Atieno yo” (10-11).  Two years later, the wife has gone to study and the speaker must work nights, leaving Atieno to care for their children and the house.  This family is not much better off than the child being spoken of.  When she dies, they provide a huge feast for her, with “meat and sugar more than all / she ate in such a narrow life” (37-38) while they wait to see whether the baby survives and quickly replace the dead girl with a living girl willing to do the work expected.  This again speaks to Marx’s theory that capitalists will continue to do nothing but exploit the lower classes because of their perception that there is always someone else ready and willing to come in and do the work expected.