SandowSinai

Dr.Knapp
English340
12/12/15
MarxsTheoryofAlienation:AStudyinTwoTwentiethCenturyPoets
ElizabethBishopandSylviaPlatharetwoofthepremierpoetsofthetwentiethcentury
andmanifestitsanxietiesandalienationsintheirlivesandliterarywork.Livingintheconstant
ideologicalandpsychologicaltensionofthetwentiethcentury,theirworkcanbeunderstood
throughalensanalyticalandcriticalofcapitalism.TheworkofthenineteenthcenturyGerman
philosopherKarlMarxonthesubjectofalienationisparticularlypertinent,derivinglargelyfrom
MarxsEconomicandPhilosophicManuscriptsof1844

.Inthiswork,particularlyinEstranged
Labor,heoutlinesfourmodesbywhichman(particularlytheworkingmaninhisvarious
forms)isalienatedundercapitalism:alienationfromhislabor,alienationfromtheactof
laboring,alienationfromhimselfandhishumannature,andalienationfromtheotherhuman
beingsaroundhim.Theaimofthispaperistooutlinetheeffectofthesefourbrandsofalienation
onthesetwopoets,primarilyintheirpoetrybutalsointheproseandbiographies.
ThefirstmodeofalienationMarxoutlinesistheworkersalienationfromhisworkto
Marx,whoseeconomicsisbasedupondefiningthevalueofacommodityasthesumofthework
necessarytoproduceit,thismeansthattheworkerisalienatedfromtheproductofhislabor.
Thisproductinsteadgoesthentosomeoneelse,whoseprofitisbasedontheworkers
exploitation.InSylviaPlathswork,thisismostreadilyapparentinthepoemsthatdealwithher
genderedexploitationspecifically,motherhood(forwhichherchildreceivestheproduct)and

marriage(inwhichherhusbanddoes).ThelatterisexemplifiedinTheJailer,wherethe
speakersintensestressandemotionallaborissiphonedbyhercaptor:hernightsweatsgrease
hisbreakfastplate.CommonlyknowntobeabouthermarriagetoTedHughes,thepoems
centralprisonbasedimageryfigurativelyshowsheremotionalcoercionintoremaininginthis
marriageinwhichsheisalienatedasHughesdrainsher.Theformerisapparentinpoems
obviouslyaboutmotherhood,suchasNickandtheCandlestick.Inaddressingthechild,the
speakertellshimthatThepain/Youwaketoisnotyours.Thisnaturallybegsthequestionof
whosepainisit,towhichtheapparentansweristhespeakers.Herpainhereisaformoflabor,
forwhichshereceivesnoproductforherownusebutwhichinsteadbecomesusedupbythe
infant.
ThepresenceofthismodeofalienationinBishopsworkisgenerallyimpersonaland
manifestedthroughexploited,usuallyblackorbrowncharacterssuchasFaustinaorCootchie(in
theirrespectivepoems).ItsreadilyapparentinSongsforaColoredSingerinwhichthetitle
character,lamentingherdomesticemployment,talksaboutherlackofownershipoftheclothes
shelaborstoclean.Foralltheeffortsheputsintothewashing,itsnotmineshenevergetsto
enjoythefruitofherwork,receivingonlymenialwages.Thisalienationismanifestedmore
personallythroughtheromanticrelationshipinVarickStreet.Assheandherpartnersell
eachother,theirmutualalienationismediatedthroughthecommodityform.Asitisnotaliteral
actofsellingaperson(outsideofthecontextofexplicitslavery)thepeoplebeingsoldhere
(you,me)aresynecdochalstandinsfortheiremotional,physicalandsexuallaborwhichis
beingexchanged.Foralltheefforttheyputintotherelationship,theyreapnoneofitsbenefits.In
Bishopspersonallifeshealsosometimesgrappledwiththisalienationasapoetand

circumnavigateditthroughherletterwriting,whichallowedhertoexpressherliterarydesires
andeffortsinawaywhichshewouldnthavetoselltoapublisher(Hammer).
TherealactofwritingpoetrywasalsoaveryimportantaspectinPlathsalienation,
particularlywithhowsheexpressesthesecondofMarxsmodes:alienationfromtheprocessof
productionitself.ThisisaspectofalienationiswhereMarxfallsintolinewiththeRomantic
criticsofcapitalistlabor,findingthattheworkoftheproletarianshaslostallindividual
character,and,consequently,allcharmfortheworkman.Hebecomesanappendageofthe
machine,anditisonlythemostsimple,mostmonotonous,andmosteasilyacquiredknack,that
isrequiredofhim(TheCommunistManifesto).ForPlath,thisbecomesmostapparentinher
metapoetryandarspoetica.Forinstance,Poems,Potatoesdescribeseventhepoemsshewrites
asbeingrepetitiveandunfulfilling.Foralltheeffortshetakestocreatemanyofthem,they
shortchange[her]continuouslyandstilldissatisfy.Justasapotatoisastaplefood
ubiquitoustothepointofblandness,soisthepoemtoPlathhere,reducedtoameretechnical
exercise.ThisresurfacesinMetaphorswhichreadsalmostlikeatechnicalexercisein
figurativelanguage.ThisalsodealsfurtherwithmotherhoodandPlathsalienationfromeventhe
processofmotherhood,whereshesboardedthetrainandcouldntgetoffdespitebeing
dissociatedfromthemetaphoricaltrainride.Outsideofherpoetry,Plathalsoexperiencedthisin
needingto,foreconomicsustenance,writeapotboilershedidntconsiderrepresentativeof
herartisticability:heronenovel,TheBellJar.Thisalienationalsoextendstothedomestic
poetrypreviouslyconsideredasthealienationfromtheproductandthealienationfromtheact
areinextricable.Ifitismiserabletonotreceivetheproductofoneslabor,thantheactof
laboringisitselfmiserable.Production...isactivealienation(Marx,1844)tothepassive

alienationofsomeoneelsereceivingthelaborsproduct.InTheJailer,asthespeakerscaptor
receivestheproductofhersweat,thesweatitselfisdrawnfromtheactiveactoftorture,when
sheisHung,starved,burned,hooked.
Bishopexpressesthisalienationimpersonallyinherpoetry.UnlikePlaths
selfdeclamatoryexpressionofalienationinfluencedbyconfessionalism,Bishopshowsthis
alienationlargelyinsomeofhernaturalisticimagerywhilePlathsaysmyworkis
unenjoyable,Bishopsaysthisanimaldoesnotenjoyitswork.OnesuchexampleisBishops
Sandpiper.Thisbirdisdeeplyfocusedonthemostrepetitivework,staringatthesamegrains
ofsandincessantly.Thisisobviouslyextremelymentallytaxingwork,yetthebirdcontinues
becausehehasbecomealienatedfromtheactitself.Bishophighlightsthisbynotever
elaboratingonwhatthebirdislookingforinhisalienatedmodeofexistence,theactualproduct
itselfdoesnotmatterpsychologicallysomuchastheeternalsomething,something,something
heislookingfor.
ThethirdmodeofalienationisthealienationfromwhatMarxcallstheGattuswengenor
speciesessence.Thisisgenerallyunderstoodtobeanuanced,diptychalunderstandingofhuman
nature,inwhichonemustcometotermsfirstwithhumannatureingeneral,andthenwith
humannatureasmodifiedineachhistoricalepoch.Thedifferencesbetweenthesetwoarenot
oftenreadilyapparentandveryfewthingsfallintotheformercategory,althoughhistorywould
suggesttheretobesomesortofessentialdrivetocreateandreceivetheproductofcreation.
Furthermore,sincemansGattuswengenisitselfsocial,thiscanencompassanumberof
emotionalstatesofalienationfromonesselfandidentity,fromtheworldatlargeandspecific
socialstructuresandconstructswithinit,fromsocietyandfromnature.Underexploitative

conditions,manisalienatedfrombothhisgeneralnatureandhisnaturecontextualizedwithhis
socialconditions.Plathexpressesalienationfrombothelementsofthespeciesessenceinherlife
andwork,butisparticularlyalienatedfromthehumannatureofherera.Thehumannature
underpostwar,postmoderncapitalismisapervasivenetworkofhegemonyandideologyitis,
therefore,impossibletonot,insomeform,bealienatedfromit.Inparticular,thepatriarchal
standardsofthiseraarealienatingPlathinternalizesthistothepointofselfdeprecation,
exemplifiedbythedeclarationthatEverywomansawhoreinLesbos.CentraltoPlaths
biographicalnarrativeisthequestionofdomesticityandthedecisionofwhethertoprioritizeher
familylifeorheracademicandpoeticcareer.Inherwork,sheexpressesthisin
semiautobiographicalforminTheBellJar(Dobbs).Thisagainisanalienationbetweenthe
socialnarrativesthatconstructtheGattuswengenofhereraandherrealdesires.Asfarasthe
generalhumannaturethatmustbereckonedwith,itislikelyinnatetopursuesubjectivityand
selfactualization,butPlathspoetry(particularlythedomesticpoems)showsanalienationfrom
this.SheisidentifiedasameansinMetaphors,iscommodifiedastheopusandvaluable
inLadyLazarus,andfindsthatbeingherselfisnotenoughinTheJailer.Indeed,her
poetryislitteredwithherbeingdehumanizedandstrippedofsubjectivity,madeintoamere
objectorcommodity.
Inararemomentofpersonalismapproachingconfessionalism,Bishopalsoexpressesthis
alienationfromtheGattuswengenofherepochinIntheWaitingRoom.Internalizingthe
speciesessenceofonesepochisanecessarycomponentofsocializationandessentialtothe
processofidentityformation.IntheWaitingRoomchroniclesanidentityformative
experienceinthespeakerschildhood.Naturally,thisisultimatelyanalienatingexperienceshe

mustrealizethattheoh!ofpainisherown,andsheisoneofthem.Inotherwords,she
absorbsthepainofthosearoundher,empatheticallyadoptingtheiralienatedactualization.
Alienationfromspeciesessenceisalienationfromsubjectivityandcauseshertorealizethat
undertheregulatorysystemsthatshapetheworldthroughideology,anyattemptat
subjectivitytobeanIisforciblysubsumedintothesamesystemsofalienationthat
producetheseidentities.Tohaveanidentity,particularlyonedefinedthroughrace,classor
gender(anycategorybasedinexploitation)istobealienatedfromyourspeciesessence.Atthe
sametime,tonothaveanidentityistobealienatedfrombothyourself(andyoursubjectivity)
andtheentiretyofidentitariansocialdiscourseitistobeisolatedfromtheworldatlarge,and
ultimatelyisrenderedfutilebytheformationofanidentityofisolation,whereoneformsan
identityoutofnothavinganidentityinthesamesenseasallotherindividuals.Thisisthe
childBishopsdoublebindinIntheWaitingRoom:itiswhereshemustconfrontidentityfor
thefirsttimeinherlife,andfindsthatbothtohaveandtonothaveanidentitypresentsthesame
alienationfromherspeciesessence.OtherinstancesofalienationfromGattuswengenare
pervasiveinBishopsworkinallpoetryrelatedtoidentity,particularlylocationallybased
poetry.Thefragmentationofherstylebetweenherdifferentbiographicallocalesmirrorsa
fragmentedidentitydifferentfragmentsexpressalienationdifferently.TheBishopof
MassachusettsandNovaScotiaistheonealienatedentirelyfromherselfandfromhavingan
identity.Itsthenarrativesofherchildhood(Hicok),andtheidentityformativeexperiencesof
IntheWaitingRoomorMemoriesofUncleNeddy.TheBishopofFloridaislargelyrelated
tonatureandthedialecticbetweenmanandnature.ThisisapparentinpoemssuchasThe
Fish,whereshebothidentifiesandisalienatedfromthetitularfish.Shedescribeshimas

homely,familiarandidentifiable,butsimultaneouslyforeignandotherinhisfearofthe
terribleoxygen(Hicok).Thefish,synecdochalfornatureonthewhole,oughtnotbean
alienatedentitytothespeakertheliteralessenceofthehumanspeciesispartofnatureinthe
materialsense,butsocialintercoursehasalienatedmanandnature.InFlorida,Bishopis
alienatedfromherspeciesasessentiallyparticletonature.ThepoetryofBrazil,particularlyin
herreturnafterthedeathofherpartnerLotadeMacedoSoares,dealslargelywithlossmost
exemplifiedinhermostanthologizedandquintessentialpoemOneArt.Hereitistemptingto
interpretaliteralismtoherdescriptionsofloss,inwhichsheislosingtheliteralobjectsofhouses
andwatches,andliterallylosingtheseplacesshenolongerlivesinorobserves.However,
psychologically,itisnotreallytheliterallossofthethingthatshespeakstomasteritisthe
lossofwhatthethingsynecdochallyrepresents,theindicesandmentalmapsbetweenherselfand
thething.Whatislostisthesocialintercoursearoundthethingwhichhasincreasinglybecome
alienatedfromherovertime.Sheisalienatedfromthespeciesessentialsocialsphere,andhasno
psychologicalrecoursebuttoWriteit!Herlocationalidentitiesaremerelydifferentfacetsof
herGattuswengenalienation.
ThefourthandfinalmodeofalienationMarxoutlinesinthe1844Manuscriptsisthe
estrangementofmanfromman.Fortheindustrialworker,thisgenerallytakestheformof
marketcompetition,whereheandhiscoworkersarepittedagainsteachother,andagainstother
workersinotherfactories,toproducemostefficientlyandcheaply.However,itisasdiverseand
ideologicallymultifacetedasanyoftheotheraspectsofalienation,andisalsomoresubtly
presentintheinternalizedmisogynyofmanywomentheirgenderedexploitationcausesthemto
attackeachother.Thisisoftenmaskedbytheotherideologicalconstructsaroundgender,

particularlywithinthecontextofthemonogamousheterosexualfamilywhosefunctionis,
accordingtoFriedrichEngelsinTheOriginoftheFamily,PrivateProperty,andtheState,the
begettingofchildrenofundisputedpaternity,andinwhichsocialstigmataarisearoundall
activityopposingthissingularaim..ThisplaguedPlathbiographicallythroughherresentment
towardsTedHughesmistressAssiaWevill,thesubjectofherpoemLesbos.Thispoems
dialogicalassertionthatEverywomansawhoreexpressesnotonlythepreviouslyexplored
alienationfromPlathsGattuswengenbutalsocompetitivealienationfromWevill.This
alienationismaskedbythedemonizationthatoccursasaresultofWevillsaffairwithHughes
comingintocontradictionwithmonogamousfamilyideals,butisessentiallyanalienationof
anotherwomanwho,givenHughesbehavior(suchasshowninTheJailer),islikely
victimizedinanalmostidenticalwaytoPlathherself.Theybothshareacommonsuffering,but
asinacompetitivemarket,Plathblamesherfellowvictimofexploitationforherownsuffering
inadditionto(orsometimeseveninsteadof)herexploiter.
ThisinterpersonalalienationiswidespreadinBishopaswell,particularlyinways
mediatedbyidentity.IntheWaitingRoomshowsBishopsanxietiesabouttheglobalized
intercourseofalienation,butitsinterpersonaleffectsareshowninPinkDog.Identity
(particularlyamongthelinesofeconomicclassorgender)isunderstoodasanalienatinglayer
betweenindividualsthroughwhichallsocialrelationsaremediated.Thepeoplearethenshocked
andrevoltedbythedogslackofthislayer,itshair.Toreturntoapreviousexamination,the
saleinVarickStreetalsoshowsthisinterpersonalalienation.Notonlyaretheloversalienated
fromtheirownlabor,asitisbeingsold,theyare,throughthismediation,alienatedfromeach
other.

Theportraitthuslypaintedisoneoftwoveryalienatedpoets,butitisdifficulttopin
downtherealdifferencesintheirexperience.Certainly,Bishopsexpressionofalienationis
moreimpersonalwhilePlathseemstosayIamalienated,Bishopskirtsaroundthe
firstpersonsingulardeclaration,preferringWearealienated(VarickStreet,arguablyInthe
WaitingRoom),You/theyarealienated(SongsforaColoredSinger,Cootchie),orItis
alienated(TheFish,TheSandpiper).Thiseasilycouldbeattributedtoaestheticdifferences
betweenthetwo,particularlyintheirrelationshiptothecontemporaryconfessionalpoets,whom
PlathadmiredandBishopabhorred.Itis,however,worthnotingtheirrelativeclassstatusPlath
livedmuchofheradultlifestrugglingwithHughestomakeendsmeetthroughtheirwork,while
Bishopenjoyedrenownandliterarysuccessaswellaslongperiodsoffinancialsupportthrough
herpoliticallyconnectedpartnerLotadeMacedoSoares.WhileMarxexpressesthatbothThe
propertiedclassandtheclassoftheproletariatpresentthesamehumanselfestrangement(The
HolyFamily),healsoarguesthatthroughouthistory,theserespectivealienationsmaydifferin
theirformsbetweenclassesheretheymanifestasadirectpersonalinvestmenttothestruggling
Plath,whiletoBishopitmayhavebeenabstractedontoothersinamannerbothvoyeuristicand
fetishistic.Whileitisoutsidethescopeofthispapertoargueabouttheirrespectivepolitics,this
unequalexperienceofalienationcouldpartiallyaccountforwhybourgeoisBishop,despiteher
generalsocialliberalism,wholeheartedlyendorsedthe1964conservativemilitarycoupagainst
thecommunistsympathisingleftwingpresidentGoulart.Regardless,bothpoetsincisively
expressthealienatedclimateofboththeireraandthepresentdaywithinthechainsofcapitalism.

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IpledgethatIhaveneithergivennorreceivedanyunauthorizedaidonthisassignment.