Karl Marx was a German philosopher, social

scientist, historian and revolutionary, Karl

Marx, is one of the most influential socialist
to emerge in the 19th century. Ironically, he
was ignored by his scholars for his idea but
recently was given more significance for his
Marxist theory.
Marxism theory definition: A system of
economic, social, and political philosophy
based on ideas that view social change in
terms of economic factors. It suggests that
the means of production is the economic
base that influences or determines the
political life.
1. Marx was a social butterfly and
when in university his father had to
bail him out because he had racked
up enormous debt.
2. Marx's first public writings on the plight of the poor was an article in which he described
the hardships and poverty of Germany's vineyard workers.
3. Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto in six weeks and the draft was written by his friend
and colleague, Freidrich Engels (sociologist)
4. Marx and Engels started a newspaper called The New Reinish Gazette that published
radical articles condemning the inequalities in German (and European) society and
promoted revolutionary ideas and activities. The government shut the paper down in May,
1849 and expelled its publishers. The last issue was printed in red ink.
5. Marx lived in terrible poverty for most of his adult life. His friend, Engels sent him 5
pounds a month on which to live. For most of this time in England, Marx wrote constantly
with his teenage daughter, Eleanor, helping with the editing and discussion of ideas.
I interpret Marxist theory from a sociologist point of view. From my understanding, the
upper class exploits the working class. There is a power struggle between the two because
when we live in a capitalist society the rich want to become richer which results the poor to
become poorer.
Shaw applies Marxism in Pygmalion by criticising society through satirical devices. Higgins is
a professor in Phonetics and makes a bet with his friend Colonel Pickering that he can make
flower girl Eliza Doolittle pass of as a Duchess. There are elements of Marxism in the text
because Higgins who is above in social hierarchy to Eliza thinks that he is superior to her in
many ways. She consistently riducules her and undermines her intelligence just because of
her class. In actual fact it turns out that Eliza is a very clever girl and manages to fool the
upper class that she is a Duchess at the Ambassadors Ball.