“Rage against the Moloch: Ginsberg’s Marxist Tirade against Capitalism” Imagine a piece of art at a gallery valued at an outrageous price. The drawing is both wild and crude, yet no one fully understands the piece expect for the artist himself. The piece of misunderstood art is Howl. Howl is open to interpretation and its meanings and values are at the hands of the reader. The artist, Allen Ginsberg, utilizes literary symbols combined with ideas fundamental to sociology to comment on his observations of modern-day society. More specifically in part two of the poem, Ginsberg employs a political framework centered around Marxist ideology to oppose two main ideas of modernization and industrialism represented by the character of Moloch. …show more content…
Moloch is an ancient god to whom child sacrifices were made to throughout the ancient Middle East.” The name itself is the combination of the Hebrew word “King” and a vowel combination translating to “shame.” (Brittanica) Moloch takes the form of a giant man who towers over mortals with the head of a satanic bull. Ginsberg manifests this horrifying image of Moloch to represent equally horrifying evils brought upon the public by the various institutions. Part II of Howl begins with a brutal image of skulls being crushed open on the cold pavement of cement and aluminum structures. This opening line is a critique of modernization of education and the mental limitations it has put on Ginsberg and his fellow beatniks. The imagery of cement and aluminum points the reader towards institutions of education but also congers the image of banks, hospitals, and political offices. The limitations put forth by these capitalist institutions places greater emphasis on efficiency rather than individual creativity and …show more content…
Ginsberg states, “Moloch whose mind is pure machinery!” referring to the idea that the notion of capitalism emphasizes work and profits to the point that individuals lose their own humanity. This is a fundamental view deeply rooted in Marxism, often referred to as the alienation of workers. Alienation of workers suggests that, “a worker’s own physical and mental energy is turned against him” and work becomes the focal point of a person’s life. (Dillon 2010) In line 83, Ginsberg refers to Moloch as “a smoking tomb.” These words incite the image of factories and smokestacks in which the lower class works for the rich. These factories ultimately become tombs for the working class as it figuratively represents the end of their social lives. In accordance with Marxist ideology the factory demands speed and efficiency rather than instilling a sense of community and