MASK, IMAGE AND TRUTH
13
"one of the most odious things in the world-religion." Lenin further
pointed out that Tolstoy's views were not only "the contradictions of his
personal thoughts, but a reflection of those highly complicated, contradic–
tory
conditions which determined the psychology of various classes and
various sections of Russian society in the post-reform but pre-revolutionary
era."
Why may not a Marxist critic, acknowledging the gifts of the poet,
novelist or playwright, point out the manner in which such a creative
writer reflects the contradictions of American life today, the manner in
which he utters the confusions and prejudices of the class from which he
,rings? Surely, the rows over Thornton Wilder, Diego Rivera, Archi–
bald MacLeish and
Black FurJ'
would never have arisen if only personal,
individual, accidental eccentricities had been involved, if there were not
a clash of social viewpoints.
The Marxist critic not only may but
must
interpret the image; and
and if he is a real Marxist critic he can give that correct evaluation of im–
portant literature which is possible only from the viewpoint of the revo–
lutionary proletariat with "its supreme devotion to the cause of democracy
and its ability to struggle against the limitations and inconsistencies of
bourgeois democracy."
Urbane and Plausible
America has no Lenins, but neither has it Tolstoys. Heaven knows
there are bad critics. Shall we therefore abolish criticism? There are
bad poets, too; why not abolish poetry? There are bad novelists; why
not abolish the novel? There are qu acks; why not abolish medicine?
There are many, far too many, evil men; why not exterminate mank ind?
Rhetorical questions. No one attacks criticism as such. On the
contrary, the anti-Marxist critic occupies an honored place in conven–
tional literature. He enjoys the full benefits of the Bill of Rights in
slinging brickbats at straw men whom he calls "proletarian writers." Re–
cently the venerable H . L. M encken celebrated the tenth anniversary of
a leading literary gazette by "illuminating" what he called "the abyss" of
proletarian literature. He fired all the stale epithets left over from his
civil war with the Babbittry of which he is a learned and distinguished
member and with which he has concluded a peace without victory. Here
are some of the Baltimore Sage's "illuminating" observations :
I.
Proletarian literature in this county has not produced "anything
of shining virtue." So much for
Stevedore.. Waiting for Lefty, The Black
Pit, They Shall Not Die, The Shadow B efor P, You Can't Sleep Here, To
Make My Bread, ]ev.;s Without Money, The Executioner Waits, Tho se
