In his 1970 article "The Author as Producer," Walter Benjamin discusses the role of writers as producers and emphasizes the need for them to reflect on their position in the process of production. Benjamin argues that writers should not aim to create new masterpieces but rather work with the means of production themselves and have their productions possess an organizing function.
Benjamin explores the concept of the "new objectivity" in literature and criticizes it for transforming the struggle against misery into a consumer good. He highlights the importance of writers reflecting on their political commitment and avoiding becoming agents or hacks who exploit their poverty for self-gratification. Instead, writers should aim to organize and present an improved apparatus for production, leading consumers to become co-workers.
The article also delves into Bertolt Brecht's epic theatre as a modern form of theatre that grapples with the newer instruments of publication and publicity. Epic theatre breaks the theatrical illusion and presents situations that require the audience to think thoughtfully about the reality in which they live. Benjamin emphasizes the importance of laughter in thought and the need for writers to develop productions that have both characteristics as works and an organizing function.
Benjamin concludes "The Author as Producer" by stating that writers must reflect on their own position and consider their solidarity with the proletariat. He highlights the significance of writers who come from bourgeois origins but align themselves with the proletariat, emphasizing the need for allies from the bourgeois camp. The article acknowledges that this solidarity is mediated and that the proletarianization of an intellectual does not automatically make them a proletarian. However, it argues that writers can contribute to the proletarian revolution by adapting the apparatus of production to its aims.
Overall, Benjamin's article encourages writers to reflect on their role as producers, understand their position in the process of production, and use their productions to organize and support the proletariat's struggle against capitalism.
