Communist Manifesto By Vincent Parillo Analysis

Despite the change in time and the advances made in society, there has always been a social ladder, which creates a social divide between those with power, and those without. In the Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel gives a modern context of the social divide, by explaining the relationship between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Defined as the group at the top of the social ladder, the bourgeoisie is viewed as the oppressor who exploits and abuse the working class who compose of the bottom of the social ladder, the proletariats. Adding on to this is Vincent Parillo's “Causes of Prejudice”, where Parrillo discusses the relation of the oppressed and the oppressor through genocide, and how the oppressed are victims of discrimination …show more content…
In the Communist Manifesto, the oppressed is defined as “a class of labourers, who live only so long as they find work, and who find work only so long as their labour increases capital. These labourers, who must sell themselves piecemeal, are a commodity, like every other article of commerce, and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition, to all the fluctuations of the market.” (Marx and Engel) This is showing how the oppressed were the scum of society, existing to fulfill the needs of those who have more power than them. Furthermore, in Parillo’s “Causes of Prejudice,” Parillo describes that a group that is suitable for scapegoating must be “not enough to strike back, [...] situated within easy access of the dominant group, [...] and the symbol of an unpopular concept” (Parillo 584). This explains how the group needs to be incapable of resisting and disliked by society. An example of this was portrayed in Elie Wiesel’s Night, where the Jews of Sighet are clueless of the dangers of the Holocaust and despite the warnings made by others in the community; they remain ignorant and oblivious about the world around them. Elie Wiesel states that “the Germans were already in our town, the Fascists were already in power, the verdict was already out - and the Jews of Sighet were still smiling” (Wiesel 10). …show more content…
Through their immense power and control over the means of productions, oppressors are able to rule over society and the people in it. The oppressed are dependent on the oppressors and as a result are exploited and abused. Through Elie Wiesel’s autobiography, Night, we can see evidentiary proof that the monstrous relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed exists; and with supporting documents like the Communist Manifesto it is shown that this relationship has existed for a long period of time and what are the factors that cause this type of relationship. Oppression has been an act of violence by a dominant group in society, and this act of violence can be addressed by victims (the oppressed) standing up and revolving against the atrocities against