Raymond Williams and Marxist reading of Sarah Cole.

I

Raymond Williams was a very liberal man. He had opinions on everything and believes literature, art, and the media were powerful phenomenons, that are great attributes to society. At the end of his article he states, “Those ‘products’ which are not ideas or theories, but which are the very different works we call ‘art’ and ‘literature’ and which are normal elements of the very general processes we call ‘culture’ and ‘language’, can be approached in ways other than reduction, abstraction, or assimilation.” This last part of his sentence sums everything he attempted to say. He believes there is no right way to interpret a work, but rather that we as critics can take various approaches. Williams opened his article saying, “The concept of ‘ideology’ did not originate in Marxism and is still in no way confined to it. Yet it is evidently an important concept in almost all Marxist thinking about culture, and especially about literature and ideas.” Marxist influence on Williams perhaps gave him a more critical approach to idealizing literature and expressing various points of views pulled from the works. Williams learnt of Marx and matured from the narrow-minded teachings and explored a variety of other things thanks to Marx.

II

Marxist Reading of Sarah Cole.Russell Banks, “Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story”, is a story of two people coming from different classes and struggling with different situations. Ron, a rich handsome man, lives with nothing missing, yet is said to be that he is “unhappy”, even if it is a little less than others due to his exceptional looks. Ron was the elitist, receiving respect from the working class, and never getting too comfortable with them. “Ron takes a seat at the bar, unfolds the evening paper in front of him….the bartender asks to help him, calling him “Sir”, even though Ron has come into his bar numerous times at this time of day.” Ron’s status in society enlists him in receiving constant respect. One day, a “homely” looking woman comes over and shocks Ron by sitting next to him and beginning a conversation. This straight forwardness by Sarah Cole, at first confuses Ron but with time he comes comfortable and listens to her. The extreme separation in classes seems to equal to appearance. It seems that looks convey the status one holds in society. Good looks are to upper class as unattractiveness is to lower class. “He is not hallucinating, he clearly sees what is before him and admits—no he asserts—to himself that he is speaking to the most unattractive woman he has ever seen, a fact which fascinates him.” This fascination he speaks of seems to be due to the class struggle and segregation. Ron has never encountered someone was willing to cross that taboo line the both of them oppositely stood on. This shock turned Ron on and started a relationship between Sarah which ended shortly realizing that people from two different classes can not live together in a society so accustomed to such divisions.