Response Writing 6

The Three Little Pigs: Traishelle, Eric, Rory, Paul

Marxism Criticism of "The Story of the Pigs" by Joel Chandler Harris

When analyzing a text through the lens of Marxism we aim to interpret the work as a reflection and product of economic conflict between social classes.

The story of the pigs by Joel Chandler Harris is the story of 5 pigs who just lost their mother: Big, Little Speckled, Blunt and Runt pig. Before their mother passed she warned them that Brer Wolf would come for them for them. "She said that if they could escape from old Brer Wolf, they'd be doing monstrously well." After their mother died Brer Wolf went to their houses one by one and eventually got the best of all the pigs but Runt who out witted Brer Wolf and took his life.

Based off actual situations, we can get an understanding how the story came about in the text. Not to the extent of an actual wolf attacking pigs but in a sense that higher-class people were constantly after the lower class. This version of the Three Little Pigs told as an African American tale, is to interpret the hardship and segregation they faced. The mother sow represented a wise woman warning her children of the dangers the wolf would bring. Same as an old grandmother warning her African children to be aware of the Americans who bring trouble. However, some of pigs (children) did not heed to her advice. Therefore, when the wolf came, they were naive and gave into his tricks. In society, this is how many people can be. Higher-class people take advantage of the lower class people because they know they will fall for their tricks. Nevertheless, if it were not for the wisdom of elderly people, they sometimes were able to shine light on oppressor's evil doings and pass this intelligence to their children, so that when the wolf did come, they would know what to do. As did pig Runt did in the story, she kept in mind what her mother told her and was expecting the wolf, so when he came, she got the upper hand on him before he could get her and that was the end of the big bad wolf.

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