Analyzing media in a marxist perspective requires attention to hierarchical structure within characters as well as how characters impact the way in which media conforms or does not conform with societal standards. An important thing to note when analyzing with a socioeconomic mindset is societal evolution with regards to the historical context because social norms are constantly changing, depending on political, economic, environmental (etc) events occurring at the time.
The marxist method of analysis focuses on power levels between characters. Who establishes dominance, and who does not? We can see evidence of this from dialogue between certain characters, actions that infer power or lack thereof, and a character’s status based on their views and opinions, as well as how their ideas influence their intentional or unintentional behaviors.
In terms of characterization, certain types of characters are identified via Grid-Group Analysis. There are four types of characters: the hierarchical elitist, the egalitarian, the individualist, and the fatalist. The hierarchical elitist believes in stratification and the typical traits of dominant responsibility over lower classes. Egalitarians promote the individual differences in people and how those differences affect their behavior. Individualists are interested in their own lives and expect a right to their fair share. Fatalists are ignorant to this kind of political structure and system. All of these types coexist to make up political order.
When analyzing media with a marxist mindset, pay attention to storyline events that show cause and effect based on interactions between characters. How does a character’s social status affect their behavior and, as a result, their actions as it is developed in the story? And most importantly, why is this power structure important? All stories revolve around a hierarchical structure because that is how humans have naturally built the society we live in.
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