A marxist critique of the presentation of the theme of salvation in three selected plays

Abstract

This study is a Marxist critique of the presentation of the theme of Salvation, in David Mulwa, Bernard Shaw, and Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Ngugi wa Mirii plays: Redemption, Major Barbara and I Will Marry When I Want respectively. The researcher used a qualitative research methodology of description linguistics to analyse all situations in Marxist terms and to show how the Marxist theory entrenched in the playwrights the will to voice their own feelings about injustices. The available literature on the theme of salvation, life and criticism of the dramatists was reviewed. The researcher proceeded to examine the Marxist overtones in the plays and proceeded with a comparative analysis of the Marxist statements on the theme of salvation in the plays. The study discovered that each dramatist had a unique recipe for the full attainment of salvation. Bernard Shaw fully embraced the Marxist metaphor of the 'economic substructure' and thus negating the supremacy of 'spirituality'. Similarly, the Ngugis, in I Will Marry When I Want, totally dismissed the relevance of 'spirituality' to salvation the wellbeing of the human being) and depicted spirituality as a ploy to rob people of their property. This, in effect rhymes with Marx view that Religion is the 'opium of the masses'. Mulwa on the other hand, reconciles 'materiality' with 'spirituality'. The study has established that humanity cannot attain true salvation by relying solely on either 'materiality' or 'spirituality' but both. It was concluded that, David Mulwa offers a more convincing Marxist view on the theme of salvation.