Marxist theory
Marxism is a materialist philosophy that analyzes society through hard social and natural conditions
Marxism focuses on class conflict between the ruling class (bourgeoisie), who own the means of production, and the working class (proletariat), whose labor is exploited for profit
A core concept is the relationship between the economic foundation and the superstructure (culture, law, and ideology)
Critical vocabulary
Bourgeoisie
This refers to the ruling class who own the means of production.
In Greenwood, this class is portrayed by the tycoons, Harris Greenwood and R.J. Holt, who amass wealth by destroying the natural world
This is the working class whose labor is often exploited by the bourgeoisie
in Greenwood, Workers like Lomax and Jake represent the proletariat, often forced into a dependency on large corporations for survival
Proletariat
Commodity
A commodity is a good or service gained specifically to be sold on a market
Commodification is the process of treating something, such as a natural resource, as a commodity
The novel critiques the commodification of the planet, where nature is viewed only as a source of profit rather than as living beings
Classism
This is the systemic enforcement of social hierarchy, where wealth determines a person's value and their ability to survive
Classism is the discrimination of individuals based on social class, targeting mainly the working class and lowest class
In the book's future, classism is visible through an environmental divide; the elite live in luxury, while the poor suffer in the wasteland
Analysis
In Greenwood, a Marxist lens examines how the text critiques capitalist power, leading to a lose of familly ties, enforcement of systemic inequalities, and the commodification of nature as a source for profit
Separating family
Harris views the land as solely for profit, saying “‘We’re wasting good trees cutting them for firewood and you know it. It makes me sick to consider all the money we’ve put up the chimney already’” (Christie 231).
The book heavily features the pursuit of wealth as a huge driving force in cutting family ties. One example is a dispute between brothers Harris and Everett over their shared forest. Harris wishes to log the land and sell the wood for profit, while Everett refuses to destroy the living woods just to make money.
Class Title
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Subjugation of the working class
When Lomax fails his assignment, Holt explicitly warns him that his “house will be the least of what [he’ll] lose” (Christie 20), and “puts him in mind of the deep financial hole they’ve dug him into” (Christie 108).
The ruling class use debt, loans, and mortgages as the main method of subjugation to keep the proletariat in order. This is exemplified by R.J. Holt’s control over his collector, Lomax, using a mortgage on his family's home to keep him in line.
Class Title
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Class Title
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Commodification of nature
Knut explains to Jake that the pilgrims “return rejuvenated to lives that are either directly or indirectly parboiling our planet, thereby further dooming such natural wonders” (Christie 13).
The peak of privatization is seen when the world's last remaining woods become a highly priced commodity for those whose greedy actions caused the destruction in the first place.