Introduction
Ever wonder why Labor Day is set on the 1st of May or May Day?
In the novel "Mother," May 1st was the turning point of the lives of Pavel and his mother, Pelagea. In a socialist demonstration which took place in the Russian factory town in Sormovo on the 1st of May, Pavel carried a red flag. This event was also historically based. Someone named Pyotr Zalomov, from whom Gorky modeled Pavel, was the real leader of this demonstration in which he held a red flag. He, as well as the other leaders of the demonstration, was arrested, imprisoned and exiled-just as what happened to Pavel. Pyotr Zalomov's mother was also very active in the revolutionary movement. This style of Gorky, i.e. focusing more on the physical details of the setting, his creative skills in breathing life to his characters and deep knowledge of the peasantry are his assets for becoming the master of socialist realism.
Yet, this novel, unlike most critics claimed, does not focus on the socialist movement alone nor the communist movement. It also somehow implied the roles that the women should take up in the revolution so that the socialist movement would succeed. There are many empowered women in novel. But, what really striking is the usage of a "mother" as the eyes of the readers where we see all the events that took place in the lives of the socialists.
This brings to mind the amalgamation of the Marxist theory and the Feminist Theory. There are works analyzing "Mother" from the viewpoint of the Marxist, like Dewi Sri Maulidianingsih's "Against the State's Oppression in Maxim Gorky's Mother" (2008) and Sastrawan Kiri's "Analysis Class Conflict on Mother by Maxim Gorky" (2009). Yet, these works focused on the Marxist side of the novel. This critique feels that these researchers did not fully venture the Marxist-feminist side of the novel. Therefore, this paper attempts to examine at the novel through the eyes of the Marxist-feminist criticism.
The Marriage of Marxism and Feminism
Generally, Marxism and Feminism are known to be of separate theories. The Marxists, on one hand, emphasize the idea that social life is based on "conflicts of interest." The most basic and most important of these conflicts is the conflict between the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat. Basically, they aim more on the achievement of a classless society, so nobody is better than anybody; the abolition of private property, so everybody owns everything (thus, nobody owns anything); and, the prevention of exploitation of the working class.
The feminists, on the other hand, emphasize the idea that life is based on "conflicts of gender." Feminism focuses more on establishing and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. They also believe that the conflict of men and women is naturally biological and not sociological. This would mean that men are naturally chauvinist and it is a biological fact for them. The aim of the feminists includes the overcoming of women's exploitation, oppression, gender-biases, and overthrowing the patriarchal system if not having the same level of importance with the men.
Then, what is Marxist-feminism?
Marxist-feminism is the theory which focuses on the eradication of the industrialist society as a way to liberate women. The Marxist-feminist's ideology sprung from Engels in his "The Origins of the Family, Private Property and the State" (1884). In his book, he explained that woman's inferiority is not a result of her biological nature but of social affairs.
As against to feminism, Marxism sees that Feminism alone is nothing but a masquerade of the "oppressed" bourgeoisie women who wanted to have the same rights that are enjoyed by their elite men. The achievement of these rights, e.g. right to vote, is nothing but a "positive discrimination" making the women second class citizens. Most working class women are still oppressed and exploited. It proves then that feminism is a theory originated from the bourgeoisie women. This kind of feminism is not the true spirit of feminism. The Marxist-feminists believe that the only way for women to have emancipation is the abolition of capitalist society. Women can only be truly free, truly equal with men, truly feminists if they would only stand on the grounds of socialism and the working class. Other Marxists say that bourgeoisie feminists themselves exploit the concern of the working class feminists to strengthen the division of men and women-a completely different belief from the viewpoint of a feminist working class who would voice out her problems and would like to fight them out. The liberation of men and women from the bondage of the inhuman capitalist society is the true strength of the Marxist-feminist ideology.
The Marxist-Feminist Reflections on Maksim Gorky's "Mother"
From the beginning of the novel to the end, the viewpoint of Pelagea Nilovna was used by Gorky to show the state of things before the Revolution of 1917. This viewpoint is one of the most important factors to consider, if not the most important, in discussing the full meaning of the novel. Other factors such as Pelagea's occupation, psyche, past, and even her role to the revolutionary movement are of equal importance with that of the viewpoint. However, the fact that there existed a group of revolutionary leaders in the novel, especially her son, the ideology of the socialist movement should never be overlooked. But then, if this novel was indeed a black propaganda of the socialists, why not just focus on the leaders? Why bother to include a woman, a widow, and an uneducated battered wife in the novel and make her character the center of all events in the story?
Pelagea was a nave woman, in the beginning of the story at least. She was usually beaten by her husband. It was a way of life for her. Her story actually started only when her husband died, making her son, Pavel, the new head of the family. Since Pavel tried to fight his father, the responsibility of making a living for his mother was transferred to him by his father. She had no work. She was a picture of the exploited female proletariat.
Not long after her husband's death, her son Pavel started to exhibit a different set of habits and behavior. She would then see him reading books that were supposedly prohibited. With this, Pelagea was starting to be changed. She was unaware that her roles too in the society were changing gradually. Being the mother of the most intelligent and well-spoken leader of the revolutionists, she was supposed to be supportive if not active in the movement. Yet, during the early periods of her discovery, her resistance to the ideology could really be seen. This is not far-fetched because she was already an old woman whose set of values and beliefs have already been set. It was as if a miracle should be done for her to change her beliefs. And, that miracle was her love for her son. She embraced the ideology her son loves not because she was forced to, but because slowly she had learned the philosophy her son wants to share the world.
However, like what the khokhol, Pavel's close friend, had said, Pavel has a great way with words but he lacks one thing which fails to convince the masses-the heart. He could never understand the meaning behind it. And somehow, the novel seemed to imply that the missing "heart" of the socialist movement lays with the women, the "mother."
The development of the character of Pelagea seemed to imply the roles that the women should take up in their struggle for their belief. Somehow, Gorky has shown that not only the men should take up roles in the revolution, that women, whatever their ages are, should contribute for the success of their movement. When she started giving the pamphlet secretly to the people in the factory, we see her understanding of the ideology her son was fighting for. This understanding was very crucial, because many have joined the socialist movement without really understanding why. With Pelagea's naivety, people had identified themselves with her and with her understanding, they understood as well. The climax of the novel is not placed in the middle but in the end, where we see Pelagea fighting with a spy just for her to disseminate her son's speech. This was symbolic though also socialist-realist.
The novel does not only show Pelagea as the empowered woman. It also shows Natasha, Sasha, Ludmilla, and Sophia. Natasha and Sasha are from the upper class, yet their characters show that their hearts belonged to the proletariat and the socialist movement. In a way, this also shows that the only way for a revolution (not only a socialist revolution but also a feminist revolution) to succeed is the female bourgeoisies' readiness to surrender their property. The female characters who have left their mansions and plantations to help the movement and be with the proletariat were an implication of Gorky's belief and a glorification of the Marxist-feminism as well. Unlike Pelagea who had nothing in the beginning of the story, women who supposed to have everything were presented yet they felt nothing and only felt their worth with the leaders of the revolution while helping them with their cause.
Conclusion
Ideally, the ideology Pelagea was fighting for is good. However, some might fail to see that the practical application of this ideology would be inhuman if not monstrous. Socialism and the abolition of private property does not only constitute proprietary alone. This also comprise of the prohibition of religion, denial of family, and abandonment of individuality. Thus, Marxism theory is a half-cooked theory if not half-truth. Marxism is a theory considered to be very dangerous if to be followed practically. One of the disturbing truths behind socialist movement is the prohibition of religion. Jesus Christ was mentioned in the novel several times. With these mentioning, a rejection of Jesus followed. The difference between religion and faith has not been implied by Gorky. For the characters, they seem to be the same and therefore should be prohibited if not abolished. The priests were the very symbols of religion and not Jesus anymore. The abolition of religion then would be the beginning of the fall of these priests. With these abolitions, even the belief in Christ was suggested to be irrelevant. This belief then tends to be an anti-Christ movement instead of a Christian movement (since communist idea can be traced from the Holy Bible).
The novel, however, has not shown the possibility of the worst case scenario if socialism would be successful. It seemed to be just an attempt to explain socialism and what the revolutionists are fighting for. The author is indeed successful with his objectives, especially placing a "heart" to the ideology which seems to be (and really is) harsh.
Symbolically, Pelagea can also be Mother Russia herself. She, before the 1917 revolution, had never accepted the idea of communism. However, slowly she learned the ideology that her children all over Russia was fighting for. She never totally realized that she was already accepting the ideology within her. And in the long run, we see Mother Russia embracing the ideology and became the "mother" of her socialist children.
In general, the author has vividly captured the emotions and conditions of the pre-revolutionary Russia. The novel is indeed an aesthetically written work which is a perfect example of a "socialist realism." Though the novel lacks some of the Russian formalist elements, it has made its own name for its own depiction of captured situations and emotions of the socialist movement. In addition, Marxism should not be the only approach used in reading the text. One should always remember that the hero is a woman, and the novel is entitled "Mother." A better understanding of the Marxism-feminism would be of great help in future studies of this pre-revolutionary novel.
REFERENCES:
Engels, Frederick. (1884). The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State.
Newtown, Australia: El Faro Printing
Gorky, Maxim. (1962). Mother (trans.). New York: Crowell-Collier Publishing Company