Marxist and Postmodernism Analysis

"A Girl and a Dog on a Friday Night" by Kelly Ward

Read-along Guide

Overview of Marxist Literary Criticism

Historical Materialism: Economic conditions shape society.
Class Struggle: Conflict between bourgeoisie and proletariat.
Ideology & Hegemony: Dominant ideas maintain ruling class power.
Literature reflects or challenges capitalist structures.

Story Summary

The story follows Rachel, a working-class mother, over an evening as she picks up her daughter Luca and deals with her partner Travis's absence due to work.

Their economic struggles are evident through their aging car, small apartment, and Travis's need for overtime.

Rachel grapples with the challenges of single motherhood while navigating a system that commodifies love and labor.

Marxist Analysis

Socioeconomic Conditions & Class Struggle

Harsh realities of working-class life depicted through vivid sensory details.
Aging car with "muffled thumping" symbolizes economic precarity.
Small apartment with broken appliances underscores struggle.
Material conditions shape even the most intimate aspects of characters' lives.

Ideology & Commodification of Love

Capitalist ideology infiltrates personal relationships.
Travis sells his labor, which takes him away from his family.
His physical affection becomes a rationed luxury due to work.
Gendered division of labor leaves Rachel shouldering domestic work.

Intersection with Feminist Analysis

The story also explores how gender intersects with socioeconomic conditions, highlighting the double bind of patriarchy and capitalism.

Rachel's anxieties and constrained choices as a single mother reflect the emotional toll of intersecting oppressive systems.

Her fear for Luca's future is inextricable from their class position and the gendered expectations placed on Rachel as a mother.

Evaluating the Marxist Lens

Marxist criticism powerfully illuminates class struggles in the story but may not capture all complexities.

An intersectional approach that considers how class interacts with gender, race, and other identity categories can provide a fuller understanding.

The story's vivid details of the characters' material conditions make it particularly well-suited to a Marxist analysis.

Postmodernism

Criticism of how society views and treats different experiences/things.
Questions how people live their lives.
Believes that you have to take control of your life and live it how you want.

Rachel Feels Trapped in Her Life

Travis often doesn't come home, leaving Rachel overwhelmed.
She has no time for important tasks other than caring for Luca.
Rachel wants to take back control but her attempts don't work.

Rachel Tries to Take Back Control

Frequent flashbacks show how she ended up in her situation.
Screw metaphor shows Rachel was stuck from the beginning.
She never received guidance due to societal expectations.
Takes risks (car, crayon) out of frustration.

Minds On Questions

How might this story be viewed through a feminist lense? Would it be similar or different from the two perspectives we talked about?
How might Rachel have more control over her life if Travis worked near their home? Would it encourage her to embrace more of a modernist view of her life?
How does Ward use vivid sensory details to convey the harsh realities of working-class life?
What do specific descriptions of Rachel's car, home, and environment reveal about her socioeconomic status?