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Alienated Labor In Frankenstein

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Karl Marx's teachings of “alienated labor” can be applied to dissect the social-economic underling factors of many works of literature across a vast variety of genres. Sections of Marx’s, Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts (Selected Writings 75-112), and Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, forms a connection to Marxism that can be easily detected. As we layout the Marxist critique of Frankenstein, a key term to remember will be “alienation.” “Alienation”- the process where the worker is alienated from his/her own product by being exploited by his/her Capitalist manufacturer; product of the worker’s labor no longer belongs to the worker.

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