The Marxist theory focuses on class struggle. Karl Marx identified that Society was divided into two groups. The minority had a monopoly on the control of resources, and the majority, who were exploited by the minority few. Marxist literary criticisms, a Marxist reading, are based on the same premise. It looks at a literary work focusing on the social and political orientation of that setting. Our focus for criticism today is the allegory about Moon Man by Tomi Ungerer. The story is centered on a man in a separate galaxy from ours, who on seeing the fun and developments over here, gets envious and chooses to visit. His visit is not welcome, a strange visitor with all the attendant glow, he is seen as a threat by the ruling class. He is then jailed but escapes as the phases of the moon change. On gaining freedom, he gets a chance to enjoy the world he so desired but the noise annoys some locals. He is to be arrested once more but he gets a way to escape through an invention by an old scientist, which takes him back home. A Marxist reading Of Moon Man identifies a character stipped in Marxist ideology as this essay is going to show.
The moon man identifies a planet full of riches and all that good stuff. From his abode, the earth seems very beautiful and welcoming. It is true that the rich, the controlling class tend to have the best of what the earth offers. These include access to power, access to leisure activities of all kinds, and access to opportunities. These pleasures are heavily guarded and restricted to other members of society. This is done through pricing, policing, and other such maneuvers to deny others. Not knowing these inequalities, Moon Man takes a trip expecting a warm welcome but gets none. The frosty reception is akin to the resistance to new ideas the ruling class often shows in a Marxist world. New ideas are often fought because they are unknown. The military or police are often used to hold back change; that is to protect the status quo. Class struggles are epitomized by the idea of master and servant. All ideas are from the servant and hence the very existence of the Moon Man is a threat to order in Society.
Secondly, Marxist thought encourages an awakening among the controlled classes. This awakening is supposed to make them realize just how disadvantaged they are. The presence of The Moon Man and the light he bears can be seen as a form of enlightenment. Education is reserved for the ruling class. One way the governed could arise was through education. This happenstance is not welcomed by the ruling class, who know that education would bring up revolts. In jail, as the phases of the moon change, we see the awakening to the possibilities of being able to overcome the status quo.
Thirdly, Marxist thought sees a day when the have nots topple the existing system and set up a new and fairer world. We could easily identify this with the Moon Man escaping from jail. The police are caught unawares and start reacting to the event. It is a new phenomenon to them. For a long time, they have been used to acting on tried and tested means but now face a challenge beyond them. The Moon Man on escaping does find a crowd that welcomes him wholeheartedly. They celebrate their newfound light, a celebration of life so to say. Still, their fun is cut short because remnants of the old regime still wield power. The have nots are never truly free you see. The knots they are roped in are incredibly hard to unbind. All is not lost for the have nots, in their newfound awakening. The Moon Man gets unlikely help from a frail, old Scientist who provides him a means to avoid capture. In this new world, cooperation is possible between members of both classes. Collective consciousness is developing on the need to have an equitable society. The Scientist is celebrated by society for his successful project. Even the decision by the Moon Man to depart earth and never return can be seen as a fulfillment of a Marxist ideal; the old system is vanquished and erased.
The Moon Man is attracted to what he thinks is a beautiful existence. He is attracted to the glamorous; on arrival, he finds glamor is unwelcoming. The more he stays on earth, he sees suffering he did not see from afar. Through imprisonment, he sees suffering and luckily finds a way to escape his misery. As fate has it, he escapes to freedom, but even that freedom does not last too long. He has to run back to his planet, thanks to an awakening he has created in the inhabitants who welcomed him. As he leaves the society is a little equal, all united by the wonder that is science. From our reading, we can say that The Moon Man is a Marxist allegory. It serves to open the reader to the inequalities present in society, the uneven nature of applying the law, and the blatant misuse of societal institutions to oppress others. In the end, it leaves us hopeful of a better world, a united and equal society.
Work Cited
Eagleton, Terry. Marxism and literary criticism. Routledge, 2003.
Ungerer, Tomi, and Frédérique van der Velde. Moon man. Phaidon, 1966.
