according to marxists , and to other scholars in fact , literature reflects those social institutions out of which it emerges and is itself a social instituation with a particular ideological function . literature reflects class strugle and materialism :think how often the quest for wealth traditionally defines characters . so marxists generally view literature "not as works created in accordance with timeless artistic criteria , but as 'products' of tge economic and ideological determinants specific to that era ". literature reflects an author 's own class or analysis of class relations , however piercing or shallow that analysis may be .
Marxism is referred to the philosophical thoughts and political actions of both karl marx (1818-1883) and friedrich englels (1820-1895) . Any political practice or theory that is based on an interpretation of the works of marx and engels (including the later communist parties and communist states ,as well as academic research across many fields ) may be termed marxism