Marxist Criticism on "A Prayer for Owen Meany"
The Marxist literary criticism according to the Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary theory describes that a novel should unmask or accentuate a more whole understanding of a community. Marxist criticism analyzes ways in which a human is formed and socialized through manufactured views of reality and truth. (Fish, Tom) The novel A Prayer for Owen Meany is a good example of underlying patterns and manufactured views of reality and truth. If we examine John Irving’s novel A Prayer for Owen Meany through a Marxist lens we can see that Harriet looks at the people around her according to class power and social standing.
Harriet recognizes her role within the community as a result of her position. When explaining the Meany’s position in society she said; “Let me say…everyone in Owen Meany’s family” (Irving, John 6) Harriet married a shoe salesman with the name Wheelwright who had a well-established last name in their community. Once her husband passed away, she sold the factory for a large sum and kept the last name for herself, her daughter and grandson as she knew her social standing would not waiver in the community. Her ancestors rode on the Mayflower as part of the first families that populated the United States, they were of high standing and Harriet strived to rejoin the ranking they once had. Harriet, in this time, had moved up in social standing from the child of a founding family to having married into a powerful family in the community which brought her pride toward her abilities. This demonstrates the class mobility throughout Gravesend to be a caste system. It is a caste system because throughout generations of Harriet’s family she was born middle to upper class, to secure her upper class standing, she married an upper class shoe salesman. Harriet and her family own the only other large brick building on the main street of Gravesend other than the inn. This shows that Harriet belongs in the base bourgeoisie where people flaunt their wealth,
Harriet recognizes her role within the community as a result of her position. When explaining the Meany’s position in society she said; “Let me say…everyone in Owen Meany’s family” (Irving, John 6) Harriet married a shoe salesman with the name Wheelwright who had a well-established last name in their community. Once her husband passed away, she sold the factory for a large sum and kept the last name for herself, her daughter and grandson as she knew her social standing would not waiver in the community. Her ancestors rode on the Mayflower as part of the first families that populated the United States, they were of high standing and Harriet strived to rejoin the ranking they once had. Harriet, in this time, had moved up in social standing from the child of a founding family to having married into a powerful family in the community which brought her pride toward her abilities. This demonstrates the class mobility throughout Gravesend to be a caste system. It is a caste system because throughout generations of Harriet’s family she was born middle to upper class, to secure her upper class standing, she married an upper class shoe salesman. Harriet and her family own the only other large brick building on the main street of Gravesend other than the inn. This shows that Harriet belongs in the base bourgeoisie where people flaunt their wealth,
Cited: Fish, Tom. "Marxist Criticism."UCumberlands. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2011.