Essay about Utopian Literature - 1833 Words

Utopian Literature The history of western civilization has been the story of the class struggle.1 In opposition to the class struggle, many have offered to restrict or even totally eliminate class distinctions and replace them with the panacea of utopia. Utopia was made popular by the theologian and philosopher, Thomas More. Whereas Karl Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto and others preached the idea of a utopian society, several individuals crafted timeless works of literature to elucidate --or in most cases dispute-- the ideals of any type of utopia. Of the vast number of works that reference, condone, or refute utopian ideals, several have been fairly recent and very relevant to our lives. For example, Aldous Huxley wrote his Brave†¦show more content†¦The reader quickly picks up on the New Worlds quagmire of erroneous dehumanization.4 The society living in Huxleys New World has no mothers or fathers, rather everyone is conceived in test tubes and raised by the government. Although this ma y be excessive, the notion of the government taking control of the basic beginnings of life is not out of the picture. The controlled birth of humans results in a uniform race, but the class distinctions remain. Due to the lack of reproduction among humans, people begin having sex purely for pleasure ending in the absence of spirituality and family.5 Both are essential for strong faith and justified reason. The population uses (or better yet abuses) the drug soma, which more or less makes it full of zombies. Furthermore, they idolize Henry Ford in a world satiated by materialistic values. The terrible thoughts of the amoral lifestyle seem to waft over into a desire not to live in a utopian world. Anyone who is not part of this Brave New World is ironically called a savage.6 Brave New World Some in this book are runningShow MoreRelatedThemes Of Utopian Literature2013 Words   |  9 Pageswonder about new sciences, aesthetics, and religious beliefs. In the literature, too, was a heavy discussion about the ideas that the world should push for and the ideas the world should leave behind. Utopian literature stands at the center of that debate, the envisioning of a perfect world in a distant far away country was something that many authors tried to put on paper, but only few succeeded. This paper will explore three Utopian texts, Thomas More’s Utopia, Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis, and HendrikRead MoreEssay on Utopian Societies in Literature2192 Words   |  9 PagesUtopian Societies in Literature A Utopian Society is based on the idea that all governmental tactics, laws, and social conditions are ideal to perfection. The relationship between authority and citizen coincide creating endless stability. Any abrupt disagreement regarding a radical idea can shift the equilibrium off balance, causing the population to become a threat to officials that could lead to a revolutionary plan. In the novels A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess and 1984 by GeorgeRead MoreWhy Has Utopian Literature Remained Popular Essay856 Words   |  4 PagesAll works of Utopian literature are designed to present ideologies and protest. Through this they have maintained their popularity whilst retaining the ability to reformulate. This ability to reformulate itself has created a way for authors to explore and investigate ideologies and protests whilst keeping the issues contextual to the time. More has done this extremely well, establishing the genre at the beginning of the 16th century, in his novel la Utopia. By using Rafael as the narrator he successfullyRead MoreUtopian Societies Impact911 Words   |  4 PagesUtopian communities have had an incredible impact on both American society and various recognized religious sects throughout the United States as a whole. Many people saw, and still see, democratic government as unfair, leaving the poor behind to become poorer while the rich continued to get richer; they felt a change in work and fairness was officially in order. Utopian societies were created with commendable intentions, and their idea of the perfect cooperative society is an attractive conferenceRead MoreAnalysis Of Aldous Huxley s Brave New World 1250 Words   |  5 PagesNew World is more of a revolt against Utopia than against Victoria.† Thus, going against classical utopian literature , the book fits more into dystopian fiction in which society is often very flawed as a result of the decisions of the government. This literary trend aims at critiquing a n existing social and political world order. â€Å"While utopian literature portrays ideal worlds, dystopian literature depicts the flaws and failures of imaginative societies. Often these societies are related to utopiasRead More Humanities’ Irrational and its Effects on a Utopian Society1690 Words   |  7 Pagesthe attempts to create a utopian society are futile. To take a different view of the irrational actions in humans, a cinematic frame of reference was introduced, Joss Whedon’s sci-fi film, Serenity tells of a civilization that has become controlled by aggressive groups, the Alliance and the Reavers. Both factions take the form of an antagonistic society, maintaining a sense in fear in all those who go against or stand in their way. Actions to make a civilized society utopian leads to the creation ofRead MoreA Utopia By George Orwell1477 Words   |  6 Pagescharacter (Big Brother) alike the many men with too much power. The fictional, yet fact based, leade rs convince the citizens that they live in a utopia by making them believe that they have options and freedoms that they do not have. Many utopias in literature are defined by having peaceful governments, equality for citizens, access to the necessities of life, and an overall safe environment where the average person has control over their life and can be who they choose to be without fear. â€Å"Human beingsRead MoreSummary : Professional Accomplishments Essay1637 Words   |  7 Pagesin the Culture Theory Research Unit, under the academic auspices of prof. dr. hab. Jerzy JastrzÄ™bski; from the second academic year – in the Literary Theory Research Unit. 2002 – PhD (doktor) in the humanities, based on the thesis: Gnosis and Literature. Motifs, threads, interpretative models. Doctoral supervisor: prof. dr. hab. Bohdan PiÄ™czka, University of WrocÅ‚aw. 3. The previous employment in scientific units 2002-2003 – assistant lecturer in the Literary Theory Research Unit, Institute ofRead MoreEssay Modernism versus Modernismo1057 Words   |  5 Pagesstyles in use up to that point were adequate means of expressing the chaos which they were now witnesses to. They felt that a new period of history required a new literary medium to express it. Modernism was characterized initially by a radical, utopian spirit, and, as WWI progressed, by an increased self-awareness and introspective attitude, and a willingness and desire to explore issues about humanity which had, up to that point, been overlooked, or considered taboo (Merriam-Webster 770). The techniquesRead MoreChris Pawling2932 Words   |  12 Pagesand university syllabi because it is still not considered as mainstream literature, just a minor or peripheral genre. * The self-definition of English literature depends heavily on what is absent from its field- its significant other- popular literature or paraliterature whose absence from the syllabus enables us to define the dominant literary culture. Paraliterature is a sort of ‘taboo’ against which the ‘self’ of literature proper is fashioned. * Darko Suvin says that a discipline which does