MASTER’S DEGREE IN ENGLISH (MEG-5)
BRITISH NOVEL
ASSIGNMENT
Course Code: MEG-05
Assignment Code: MEG-05/TMA/2023-24
Max. Marks: 100
Answer all questions.
4. Discuss briefly, the ideas of Marx and Engels on class relations.
Ans:
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the architects of Marxism, developed a comprehensive theory of class relations that remains influential in understanding social dynamics and inequality. Their ideas, articulated in works like "The Communist Manifesto" and "Das Kapital," revolutionised the understanding of class struggle, capitalism, and social change.
At the core of Marx and Engels' analysis is the concept of class conflict, which they argue is the driving force of historical change. They contend that societies are divided into different social classes based on their relationship to the means of production – the tools, resources, and capital necessary for producing goods and services. In capitalist societies, Marx and Engels identify two primary classes: the bourgeoisie, who own and control the means of production, and the proletariat, who sell their labour power to the bourgeoisie in exchange for wages.