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“A lot of blood gets lost here” : Class Struggle and Ideology in The Kitchen

Yıl 2023, Cilt: 22 Sayı: 1, 132 - 144, 27.01.2023
https://doi.org/10.21547/jss.1133069

Öz

Arnold Wesker’in Mutfak (1957) adlı oyunu hem birbirleri arasında hem de kendi içlerinde hiyerarşik yapıya sahip olan kapitalist sınıf ve işçi sınıfı olmak üzere iki sosyal sınıf arasında, işçi sınıfının kapitalist sınıf tarafından sömürülmesiyle sonuçlanan mücadelenin yer aldığı çalışma dünyasını anlatmaktadır. Restorandaki kötü çalışma şartları, işin değişen hızı, işveren tarafından çalışana dinlenmesi ve sosyalleşmesi için verilen kısıtlı zaman ve kapitalist sınıf tarafından kontrol edilen iş yükünün çalışanın insanlığını kaybettirici yönü hem iki sosyal sınıf arasındaki hem de işçi sınıfı üyelerinin kendi aralarındaki ilişkiler aracılığıyla sunulur. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Mutfak oyununda kapitalist sınıf ile işçi sınıfı arasındaki iş ve üretime dayalı ilişkiyi ve işçi sınıfının, kapitalist sınıfın uygulamalarını kabullenişini sırasıyla Marksist kavramlar olan sınıf mücadelesi ve ideoloji kavramları ile okumaktır. Bu bağlamda, sınıf çatışmasının sadece sermaye sahibi kapitalist sınıf ile üretimi gerçekleştiren işçi sınıfı arasında olmadığı, sınıf mücadelesinin aynı zamanda farklı milli kimliklere sahip işçi sınıfı üyeleri arasında ırk temelli nefret ile ifade edildiği ortaya konulacaktır. Ayrıca, restoran çalışanlarının içinde çalıştıkları ekonomik koşulları bilinçli olarak kabul ettikleri ve hem işin hem eğlencenin kapitalist sınıf tarafından kontrol edildiğini de gösteren işçi sınıfının kültürel/sanatsal zevklerini işveren tarafından belirlenen kısa mola zamanlarında gösterebildikleri üzerinde durulacaktır.

Kaynakça

  • Althusser, L. (2014). On the reproduction of capitalism: ideology and ideological state apparatuses. London & New York: Verso.
  • Bertens, H. (2014). Literary theory: the basics. London & New York: Routledge.
  • Bressler, C. E. (2011). Literary criticism: an introduction to theory and practice. Boston: Longman.
  • Castle, G. (2007). The Blackwell guide to literary theory. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
  • Conley, F.H. (1998). [Review of the book The Kitchen, by Arnold Wesker]. Theatre Journal, 50 (1), 125-127. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/25068498.
  • Foley, B. (2019). Marxist literary criticism today. London: Pluto Press.
  • Karaman, E. (2021). Class conflict with its causes & effects in The Kitchen by Arnold Wesker. Essence & critique: journal of literature and drama studies, 1.1, 53–74.
  • Kitchin, L. (1968). Drama with a message: Arnold Wesker. In J. R. Brown (Ed.), Modern British dramatists (pp. 71-83). New Jersey: Englewood Cliffs.
  • Leech, C. (1962). Two romantics: Arnold Wesker and Harold Pinter. In J. R. Brown and B. Harris (Eds.), Stratford-Upon-Avon studies 4 contemporary theatre (pp. 11-33). London: Edward Arnold. Leeming, G. (1981). Articulacy and awareness: the modulation of familiar themes in Wesker’s plays of the 70s. In C.W.E. Bigsby (Ed.), Stratford-Upon-Avon 19 contemporary English drama (pp. 65-79). New York: Holmes & Meier Publishers.
  • Marx, K. (1976). Capital: critique of political economy (Vol.1). London: Penguin Books.
  • Marx, K. & Engels, F. (2018). The communist manifesto. London: Vintage.
  • Mulhern, F. (1992). Introduction. Contemporary Marxist literary criticism, 1-34: New York & London: Routledge.
  • Nayar, P. K. (2010). Contemporary literary and cultural theory: from structuralism to ecocriticism. Delhi: Longman.
  • Orley, R. (1972). [Review of the book The Kitchen, by Arnold Wesker]. Educational Theatre Journal, 24 (2), 188-190. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/3205808.
  • Page, M. (1967). [Review of the book Arnold Wesker, by Harold U. Ribalow]. Educational Theatre Journal, 19 (2), 208-209. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/3205150.
  • Pattie, D. (2012). Modern British playwriting: the 1950s. London: Methuen Drama.
  • Rabey, D. I. (2003). English drama since 1940. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
  • Sandil, R. (2022). The Kitchen: an assessment of the Sir Arnold Wesker’s play in the light of kitchen sink drama. Journal of positive school psychology, 6.6, 8818-8823.
  • Sternlicht, S. (2004). A reader’s guide to modern British drama. New York: Syracuse UP.
  • Wesker, A. (2012). The Kitchen. In Wesker’s social plays. [Oberon Books version]. Retrieved from https://tr.tr1lib.vip/book/18837719/96b4de.
  • Wolff, R. D. (2019). Understanding Marxism. [Democracy at Work version]. Retrieved from https://tr.tr1lib.vip/book/5218528/711b58.

“A lot of blood gets lost here” : Class Struggle and Ideology in The Kitchen

Yıl 2023, Cilt: 22 Sayı: 1, 132 - 144, 27.01.2023
https://doi.org/10.21547/jss.1133069

Öz

Arnold Wesker’s The Kitchen (1957) presents the world of labour where the two social classes, the capitalist class and the working class, with hierarchies between each other and among themselves, clash, which ends with the exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie. The harsh working conditions at the restaurant, the changing pace of work, little time given by the employer to the employees to rest and socialise, and the dehumanising aspect of labour are presented through the relationships between the two social classes and also among the working class people. Hence, the aim of this paper is to argue that the relationship between the capitalist class and the working class based on labour and production and the working class people’s submission to the practices of the ruling class in The Kitchen can be analysed through the Marxist concepts of class conflict and ideology, respectively. Accordingly, it will be demonstrated that class conflict is seen not only between the bourgeoisie, the owner of the capital, and the proletariat, the agent of production, but also among the members of the proletariat of different nationalities, which is expressed through racial hatred. Furthermore, it will be displayed that the employees of the restaurant not only consciously accept the economic conditions under which they work but also reveal their cultural/artistic tastes during short breaks that are set by the employer, which shows that both work and leisure are controlled by the capitalist class.

Kaynakça

  • Althusser, L. (2014). On the reproduction of capitalism: ideology and ideological state apparatuses. London & New York: Verso.
  • Bertens, H. (2014). Literary theory: the basics. London & New York: Routledge.
  • Bressler, C. E. (2011). Literary criticism: an introduction to theory and practice. Boston: Longman.
  • Castle, G. (2007). The Blackwell guide to literary theory. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
  • Conley, F.H. (1998). [Review of the book The Kitchen, by Arnold Wesker]. Theatre Journal, 50 (1), 125-127. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/25068498.
  • Foley, B. (2019). Marxist literary criticism today. London: Pluto Press.
  • Karaman, E. (2021). Class conflict with its causes & effects in The Kitchen by Arnold Wesker. Essence & critique: journal of literature and drama studies, 1.1, 53–74.
  • Kitchin, L. (1968). Drama with a message: Arnold Wesker. In J. R. Brown (Ed.), Modern British dramatists (pp. 71-83). New Jersey: Englewood Cliffs.
  • Leech, C. (1962). Two romantics: Arnold Wesker and Harold Pinter. In J. R. Brown and B. Harris (Eds.), Stratford-Upon-Avon studies 4 contemporary theatre (pp. 11-33). London: Edward Arnold. Leeming, G. (1981). Articulacy and awareness: the modulation of familiar themes in Wesker’s plays of the 70s. In C.W.E. Bigsby (Ed.), Stratford-Upon-Avon 19 contemporary English drama (pp. 65-79). New York: Holmes & Meier Publishers.
  • Marx, K. (1976). Capital: critique of political economy (Vol.1). London: Penguin Books.
  • Marx, K. & Engels, F. (2018). The communist manifesto. London: Vintage.
  • Mulhern, F. (1992). Introduction. Contemporary Marxist literary criticism, 1-34: New York & London: Routledge.
  • Nayar, P. K. (2010). Contemporary literary and cultural theory: from structuralism to ecocriticism. Delhi: Longman.
  • Orley, R. (1972). [Review of the book The Kitchen, by Arnold Wesker]. Educational Theatre Journal, 24 (2), 188-190. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/3205808.
  • Page, M. (1967). [Review of the book Arnold Wesker, by Harold U. Ribalow]. Educational Theatre Journal, 19 (2), 208-209. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/3205150.
  • Pattie, D. (2012). Modern British playwriting: the 1950s. London: Methuen Drama.
  • Rabey, D. I. (2003). English drama since 1940. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
  • Sandil, R. (2022). The Kitchen: an assessment of the Sir Arnold Wesker’s play in the light of kitchen sink drama. Journal of positive school psychology, 6.6, 8818-8823.
  • Sternlicht, S. (2004). A reader’s guide to modern British drama. New York: Syracuse UP.
  • Wesker, A. (2012). The Kitchen. In Wesker’s social plays. [Oberon Books version]. Retrieved from https://tr.tr1lib.vip/book/18837719/96b4de.
  • Wolff, R. D. (2019). Understanding Marxism. [Democracy at Work version]. Retrieved from https://tr.tr1lib.vip/book/5218528/711b58.
Toplam 21 adet kaynakça vardır.

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil İngilizce
Konular Sanat ve Edebiyat
Bölüm İngiliz Dili ve Edebiyatı
Yazarlar

Emine Seda Çağlayan Mazanoğlu 0000-0002-9595-4899

Yayımlanma Tarihi 27 Ocak 2023
Gönderilme Tarihi 20 Haziran 2022
Kabul Tarihi 11 Ocak 2023
Yayımlandığı Sayı Yıl 2023 Cilt: 22 Sayı: 1

Kaynak Göster

APA Çağlayan Mazanoğlu, E. S. (2023). “A lot of blood gets lost here” : Class Struggle and Ideology in The Kitchen. Gaziantep University Journal of Social Sciences, 22(1), 132-144. https://doi.org/10.21547/jss.1133069