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The Analytical Method Of Marx And Engels

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Firestone uses the analytical method of Marx and Engels to create a theoretical frame which includes issues of oppression based on sex. I found her distinction between what Marx and Engels specifically say about women and the family model and her theory of a greater understanding of how gender works dialectically and materially very helpful. I also connected with her assertion that issues of gender seem to pervade every part of social life and that “many women give up in despair…” because of how deep the issues go (Firestone 90). I think this statement is often true because accepting that patriarchy exists in such a multifaceted way can be overwhelming and disheartening. Moreover, I also appreciated the idea that “[b]efore we can act to change a situation, however, we must know how it has arisen and evolved, and through what institutions it now operates” (Firestone 90). This seems like an important way to bridge the gap between theory and activism. I think it is important for activists to consider the assumptions they are working under before they take action. Although I think a lack of action is a legitimate criticism of modern feminism, we still need to know what we are fighting for.
I also found Firestone’s point that “…so profound a change cannot be easily fit into traditional categories of thought” to be both profound and indicative of her own assumptions as a theorist (Firestone 91). Just as Marx provided a limited but beautiful piece of theoretical work, so does

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