Marxism and Literature (Marxist Introductions)

Marxism and Literature (Marxist Introductions) by Williams, Raymond. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780198760610.

This book extends the theme of Raymond Williamss earlier work in literary and cultural analysis. He analyzes previous contributions to a Marxist theory of literature from Marx himself to Lukacs, Althusser, and Goldmann, and develops his own approach by outlining a theory of `cultural materialism which integrates Marxist theories of language with Marxist theories of literature. Williams moves from a review of the growth of the concepts of literature and idealogy to a redefinition of `determinism and `hegemony. His incisive discussion of the social material process of cultural activity culminates in a re-examination of the problems of alignment and commitment and of the creative practice in individual authors and wider social groups.