AustLit

An overview of Marxist views on modernism, and a proposal for how contemporary Marxism may more fruitfully participate in a debate about modernism. 'Suggested here is a Marxist approach to modernist literature that avoids the view dominated by critics like Georg Lukacs in favour of a position based on the theories of Theodor Adorno.' The article also explores 'different Marxist (and some non-Marxist) views of art and literature in Australia, with a secondary focus on how a modernist like Patrick White was received by critics on either side of the political debate'. Rather than attempting a systematic analysis of White's work, the article looks at 'some critics' reception and interpretation of several of his books within the context of a discussion of modernism and Marxism in Australia in general' (5).