Word: Proletarianization

In his epilogue, Benjamin writes that "the increasing proletarianization of modern man and the formation of masses are two sides of the same process" (269).

The OED defines proletarianization as "the fact or process of making or becoming proletarian in character," and defines proletariat as "Wage earners collectively, esp. those who have no capital and who depend for subsistence on their daily labor;the working classes." This relates back to the Marxist theory of the ongoing war between rich and poor. What Benjamin is alluding at is that the working class, which was growing in his time, was just organized in a mass to be controlled by Fascism. They let the people speak, but when they do Fascism strikes them down. This would have been a very real concern in these days, leading up to WWII. Also in the text is the art of reproduction (and how mass/pop art is destructive), and tragedy as human nature. He seems to support Marxist theory by saying that history will repeat itself if something is not done.