1. C

Adventurism is when an individual or a small group adopts a bold or risky tactic that endangers the larger collective.  Without examining Poe Dameron’s theoretical writings on the transition from capitalism to socialism, we can’t say whether he is a revisionist.  Of all the film’s characters, the hacker DJ best embodies the self-serving ethos of anarcho-capitalism. Pelagianism is the belief held by some ancient Christians that human nature is not corrupted by original sin.  It is considered heretical by many churches, but it doesn’t play a big role in the Star Wars universe.  (Poe Dameron’s insubordination involves another important -ism, too: sexism.  Check out Michelle P. Kern’s take on The Last Jedi and its critics.)

2. B

Wakanda is hidden from the outside world by a force field, which has allowed it to pursue development on its own terms.  The field, like all Wakandan technology, is powered by the nation’s vast deposits of vibranium—but as history shows, mineral wealth does not guarantee prosperity, especially when that wealth is pillaged by imperialist powers.  And the ruling class might like us to believe that belt-tightening and regulation-loosening are the key to development, but again: history shows otherwise

3. D

They Live (recently reviewed by Chauncey K. Robinson) portrays U.S. society in the Reagan era, not some dystopian alternate reality.  And while many blame the working class for its role in perpetuating its own oppression, Carpenter’s film points to the invading alien overlords as being at fault. If you picked C, probably took a wrong turn on the way to your Trump rally.

4. B

Eisenstein had nothing against professional actors, but he did break with the emphasis on character and individual psychology.  Far from an age of repression, the early years of the Soviet Union were a time of great creative ferment, where revolutionary artists and intellectuals threw themselves into the task of building a proletarian cultural movement. By the 1930s, experimentation had largely given way to a doctrinaire embrace of socialist realism as an official aesthetic.  Proponents of that school criticized Eisenstein’s technical, formalistic approach, but he was never blacklisted or prevented from working.

Whatever your score, be sure to join us Sunday, December 16, at 8 PM Eastern for a class on Zombies, Jedi, and the Fight Against Fascism, led by Chauncey K. Robinson and Michelle P. Kern.

Register here:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1895066959869253377

Score: 0 wrong: Theoretician. Write an article! Teach a class!!

1 wrong: Developed Marxist. Form a study group, join the party.

2 to 3 wrong: Class conscious worker – study harder.

4 to 5 wrong: Danger! deviations possible. study and then study some more lest you drift into the marsh of opportunism!

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