Rudolph, "Girl", Gramsci, and Marx

Gramsci’s concept of hegemony is how a culture can be ruled by the dominating class by imposing their ideology on the other groups in society through “economic domination” and “intellectual and moral leadership.” The dominating group creates an ideology which the subordinate groups can assimilate into. Although capitalism was doomed to imminent failure in 1846, it continues because of hegemony.

Marx called for workers to stumble upon the epiphany of class consciousness and unite against the bourgeoisie. Marxists would explain the lack of predicted revolutions through lack of class consciousness, which means that the workers did not see their true position in society. While this is part of the larger problem, the complex foundation for complacency can be found in Gramsci’s concept of hegemony. In order for a socialist revolution to occur, the dominated classes must form a new hegemony that is stronger than the capitalist one.

Hegemony is perpetuated through society’s institutions, which are run and governed by the dominating group in society. Compulsory education serves as one of the greatest agents of socialization. Children are taught about the value of hard work. They are fed the capitalist dream of hard work and success. They emerge believing that if they work hard enough, they, too, will become CEO’s and factory owners. However, this is public education. The dominating class in society can afford to send their children to their own institutions, private educations and home schooling, where they are fed a different version of the ideology. In these institutions, these children are told that they are privileged and must perpetuate their family’s success. They are told that employing others is a form of providing opportunity, not exploitation. In this way, hegemony works because it incorporates all classes into the ideology, and everyone seemingly has a place and willingly absorbs their position in the machine.

Art is often a vehicle for or against the dominant hegemony. There are many Marxist readings of literature, including “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl”.
It turns out that Rudolph is not about misfits finding their place in the world. It is about incorporating children into the economy of Christmas. Rather than expose them to the truths of Christmas, namely environmental waste and 3rd world exploitation in order to feed consumer demand and corporate profits, children think of Christmas as a season of giving. They see elves happily making these toys and get the sense that Christmas is good for everyone, even those who work so hard to make it happen. Rudolph celebrates consumption. It also gives children their first lesson in capitalism. Yukon Cornelius, the aspiring capitalist searching for gold in the North Pole, is not successful until he finds someone else to do his work. The Abominable Snowman is a savage until Cornelius allows him to be assimilated into the Christmas economy.

While a Marxist reading of Rudolph is helpful in seeing how hegemonic ideology is spread and maintained in society, it is not particularly useful from a literary standpoint. However, a Marxist reading of Jamaica Kincaid’s girl truly shows us how literary devices can be used. “Girl” lacks plot. There are no series of events, no cause or effect relationships. This is probably deliberate on the author’s part, as Kincaid demonstrates how the girl is oppressed and how she, as a member of the working class, cannot progress past this dictation of ideology, these rules her mother spits out at her not allowing for any interruptions or questions. According to the author who provides the Marxist reading, “The narrative of her life is work.”