rxist literary critisism, yet all he mentions is that Trotsky would not be confined under the standards set by the government. Bressler does not show a distinct approach to Marxism here.Next Bressler examines Georg Lukacs. Here Lukacs' reflectionism is defined. According to Bressler, reflectionism "declares that texts directly reflect a society's consciousness" (215). However good the definition set by Bressler, and the importance of reflectionism, this is not a different approach to Marxism, but merely a sub-theory.The Frankfurt school is next. Here Bressler states that this school is "closely allied to Lukacs and reflection theory" (215). The main, although subtle difference is that Benjamin suggests the reader "can resist the bourgeois ideology embedded in the text," (216) according to Bressler. This is not the radically different way of using Marxism that Bressler implies, but is again a sub-approach. This mode of thinking still includes all the core Marxist beliefs.Bressler almost succeeds in differentiating Antonio Gramsci from Lukacs. He states that Gramsci "takes Marxism in a different direction " (216). This statement goes too far. The only difference between the two is the relationship between the base and the superstructure. Bressler says that Gramsci believes that "literature becomes a tool of the privileged class" (216). This however, is a common belief shared by all Marxists. It is in fact almost a clear definition of Marxism as a literary theory. Every Marxist literary critic adheres to this belief one way or another. Again Bressler fails to define a separate school of Marxist thought.Bressler then tells of Louis Althusser's theories. It is clear Althusser does differentiate somewhat, however, many points remain the same. Saying "the people's worldview is thus craftily shaped by a complex network of messages sent to them through the elements contained in the superstructure," (217) is not much different...
