Behind the walls: uma perspectiva crítica materialista da relação entre cultura, ideologia e classe no filme Attack On Titan: Crimson Bow and Arrow (2014)

Abstract

The material conditions in which social relations take place provide a range of feelings, emotions and perspectives that designate how society is structured. In this sense, artistic productions can serve as mechanisms that lead to relevant reflections on how social organization is constituted, its divisions into groups, as well as the instruments used to shape the socio-political apparatus. These issues are strongly reflected in cultural practices, including those that are on the rise in terms of consumption, such as the case of anime. Among these, Attack On Titan: Crimson Bow and Arrow (2014) is a work in which there is a problem directly linked to issues arising from concepts of materialist criticism that can be encompassed in the relations between social classes and the ideology behind their behavior. Considering this, this research aims to answer the following question: How cultural aspects related to ideology and class are portrayed in the animation Attack On Titan: Crimson Bow and Arrow (2014) according to materialist criticism? In order to answer this question, we established the following general objective: To investigate the ways in which cultural aspects related to ideology and class are portrayed in the animation Attack On Titan: Crimson Bow and Arrow (2014) according to materialist criticism. For this purpose, we have defined the following specific objectives: (i) to discuss the theoretical assumptions of materialist criticism, with an emphasis on the relationship between culture and society; (ii) to identify how cultural aspects arising from the geopolitical structure and labour relations, present in the film Attack On Titan: Crimson Bow and Arrow (2014) portray issues related to the concept of class; (iii) to identify how cultural traits such as thought, customs, beliefs and values, present in the film Attack On Titan: Crimson Bow and Arrow (2014) portray issues related to the concept of ideology and (iv) to identify how culture operates as a counter-hegemonic factor in the society portrayed in the film. In terms of methodology, we conducted a qualitative, bibliographical, exploratory and interpretivist investigation, based on authors such as Raymond Williams (2014), Terry Eagleton (2011), among others. In summary, the data analysed reveals that social segmentation into classes and ideology are fluidly related to culture, with the ability both to maintain the material conditions of domination and to formulate alternative paths that can lead to structural changes.