The Kushner s The Flamethrowers We - 1524 Words

In Rachel Kushner s The Flamethrowers we are introduced to Reno, a woman in pursuit of a career as an artist. She grew up working class but upon meeting the air to an industrialist fortune her societal status is flipped on its head. The theoretical concepts of Marxist criticism will be used in order to analyze this novel. According to the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University, Marxist criticism looks closely at a character s economic status or social rank and examines how character s from different classes interact or conflict. Based on the concepts of Marxist Criticism it is clear that Reno s vertical class migration is the core cause of the social and economic plight she faces in the novel. Moreover, it is clear that Reno s†¦show more content†¦Here, nested in luxury with access to things that Reno could only wish for she finds the loft to be a â€Å"strange and magical chamber†(151). Reno’s new environment isn’t comfortable for her, she was content in her previous residence. This discomfort can be traced back to Reno’s socioeconomic roots in the working class. Her parents lived modestly and made honest livings. It is interesting to note that it is brought up later in the novel that Reno may not totally be comfortable with where Sandro’s money has come from. She later describes Sandro’s apartment as covered in â€Å"the greasy residue of industrialism†(203). She finds that there is an inescapable and permeating air of dirty money in the Valera family. The ride up the economic ladder that came with Reno’s relationship with Sandro brought greater luxuries. Yet, in the end Reno has been raised as a working class person and the new found lavishness is not true to who Reno is at her core. In addition to Reno’s discomfort in her dwelling is her fear of loss, as the novel progresses it is clear that Reno needs Sandro in order to progress as an artist. During their relationship Sandro has intro duced Reno to incredibly influential figures in the art world(). He has also financed Reno’s art projects. On top of that Sandro has taken all financial burdens off of Reno. She is so invested in this relationship that the financial