Unpacking the Class Struggle in Emily Dickinson’s Because I Could Not Stop for Death: A Marxist Analysis

Abstract

This research paper explores a Marxist analysis of Emily Dickinson’s Because I could not stop for Death. This research takes a qualitative approach, which will involve a close reading of Dickinson’s poem to identify instances that reflect Marxist ideology. Drawing on the concepts of exploitation, alienation, and class-consciousness, this paper demonstrates how the poem can be read as a critique of the capitalist system, which serves the interests of the ruling elite at the expense of the proletariat. The poem’s central metaphor of Death as the controlling force behind the journey underscores the coercive and suppressive nature of the bourgeois regime. The imagery of the sights and sounds encountered enroute likewise symbolizes the exploitation of the working class for the benefit of the capitalist class. Ultimately, the speaker’s final realization of the ongoing struggle and the need for revolutionary struggle highlights the Marxist ideals of revolutionary consciousness as a vital component of class resistance. While this paper is limited in scope and depth, it offers a unique perspective on the significance of one of Dickinson’s most famous poems as a social critique of the dominant political and economic structure of its time.