Test 2 Flashcards
The Republic of the Southern Cross (author/year/analysis)
author: Bryusov
year: 1905
analysis: dystopian story about downfall of the utopia, narrator is an outside source using major Deville’s telegrams/diaries to explain what happened: takes place in Antartica with domes of climate controlled temperatures, people live in luxury, no individuality though, Board has all the power (totalitarian), downfall is The Contradiction (disease that makes people do the opposite of what they should do), and it keeps spreading until the whole society dies out or escapes
One Evening in 2217 (author/year/analysis)
author: Fyodorov
year: 1906
analysis: In a utopian society, Aglaya and Pavel meet with Lyuba to discuss society after Aglaya has a hookup. Pavel admits love to Aglaya and she says she’s not good enough and once he leaves she kills herself
(utopian society where family is no longer an institution, relationships informal)
R.U.R. (author/year/analysis)
author: Capek
year: 1920/1921
analysis: Story of Rossum’s Universal Robots in a play, utopian society on island, goal that with robots, humans will no longer need to work and needs will be provided for, similar to Frankenstein story, big theme of suffering, in the end the robots develop souls and two of them go off to restart society (first time term robot was used, translates to work slave)
We (author/year/analysis)
author: Zamyatin
year: 1920/1921
analysis: A utopian society where D-503 shares his experiences as he develops a soul and falls in love with another cipher, I-330, who is part of a growing revolution against the One State that eventually breaks through in a war between both (we do not find out resolution)
Heart of a Dog (author/year/analysis)
author: Bulgakov
year: 1925
analysis: shows three worlds/classes: NEPman/Bolsheviks/Criminal. Dog Sharik is rescued by professor, he does experiment on dog and gives him part of a human brain and human testicles and then Sharik slowly turns into a person but also goes wrong and acts out, in the end the professor operates and turns him back into a normal dog
Professor Dowell’s Head (author/year/analysis)
author: Belyaev
year: 1926
analysis: Belyaev was handicapped for much of his life and made this story on what it feels like to exist without a body. In America, professor Kern has taken credit for professor Dowell’s work and has made him into a “head” and adds two other “heads” later on, story from Marie’s (assistant) POV, and how she tries to get justice for Dowell since Kern is getting credit for all his work
Amphibian Man (director/year/analysis)
director: Chebotaryov, Kazansky
year: 1962
analysis: First film to film underwater, hybrid of utopia and dystopia. Romeo and Juliet love story of a man with shark gills (Ichthyander) and Gutiere. Jealous Don Pedro tries to split them up, uses Ichth. as labor to get pearls from ocean, in end Ichth. wins agains Pedro but loses his ability to be on land and the lovers are separated and he is isolated from human world
Based on what we’ve learned, define dystopia (include definition and detailed explanation of dystopia’s relationship to utopia)
Definition: a futuristic, imaged universe where oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through different means of control (corporate, bureaucratic, technological, religious/philosophical/moral, totalitarian)
Usually show exaggerated worst-case scenario, criticize current trend/system, common plot focuses on control/organization vs. the uncontrollable
Share many of the same elements of Utopias, but the elements are taken to horrific extremes, also represent different perspectives, they are utopias gone wrong and the nightmare of control and organization
Explain how enlightenment ideas of reason and progress eventually led to a sharp turn away from utopia and towards dystopia in the twentieth century
Enlightenment took place during the 18th century, centrally in Europe but spread over the world. Idea of reason (to find truth), and progress (perfecting society as well as individual freedom: achieve this by using reason), and both of these create modernity.
Shift led to a sharp turn from utopia to dystopia during transition between 19th and 20th century. This switch was due to crisis of modernity (WWI and WWII), industrial revolution, and decrease of worker freedom (since dystopian fiction reflects fears/anxieties of the current cultural context, this is why there was a switch)
In Bryusov’s “The Republic of the Southern Cross”, is the contradiction (a) a rebellion against the utopian society (an assertion of freedom) or (b) the logical expression of subjects who are not free (the manifestation of their lack of freedom), discuss examples from story to support your argument
(b) a logical expression of subjects who are not free, so their manifestation of their lack of freedom. It wouldn’t make sense for the subjects to rebel against their society without reason, the people are generally happy with resources.The people in the society as somewhat like Robots. They are used to their same routine, habits, and lifestyles. I see the contradiction as a “glitch” that manifests within the society as a type of plague. They do not mind their lack of freedom, and Bryusov uses this contradiction to show how a perfect society is impossible. The contradiction must manifest because it is inevitable. Such extremes of the contradiction show that this virus outbreak was due to perfect society being impossible, and that is the consequence for trying to make a perfect utopia. (people returning to animalistic instinct before society was established (“emerge the wild man”: hence the theft, murder, violence, completely downfall, cannibalism, loss of self, loss of justice, only force recognized)
Pick out two features from the society depicted in Fyodorov’s “One Evening in 2217” and explain how these features are utopian (from Lyuba’s perspective) and then how these same features are dystopian (from Pavel’s perspective). Which position does the story side with? Support argument with analysis grounded in textual evidence
- Family no longer exists as an institution:
Why utopian: Communal raising of children can be a good thing, breaks down barriers between people, “togetherness”, strengthens the utopia
Why dystopian: Babies taken away from mothers, no established mother and father, lack of real blood family bond, that hole that remains - Individuality seen as bad:
Why utopian: everyone gets the resources they need, all contribute to the society, only need to work a few hours
Why dystopian: free thought not accepted, no freedom/choice, have to work 4 hours a day, lack of options - Science as the accepted faith
Why utopian: real and established, reliable, religion gives false hope
Why dystopian: no ideals from religion, no freedom of faith, lack of passion in society, people are “soulless”
the author seems to agree more with Pavel: they seem to think family is an established institution that is good, individuality is important is society (lack of individuality makes people soulless), and faith can be a good thing and not all aspects of religion are bad. The author just makes Pavel’s arguments more passionate/focused.
Discuss how Capek’s “R.U.R.” explores what it means to be human through the evolution of the robots. Ground your argument in a discussion of three moments from the play
Explores what it means to be human by showing the evolution of the robots. They first have no soul/completely emotionless, productive workers. Then the humans allow them to feel pain to prevent them from injuring themselves, this over time makes the robots slightly more responsive. Some of the robots start developing different feelings and emotions and actually start to care and eventually just develop a soul. This is after humans can no longer reproduce as well. The milestone is when the two robots Robot Helena and Robot Primus start a new beginning/society at the end, and they learn love and suffering. Suffering is also an essential part of being “human” and the robots develop suffering later on (Helena/Primus) suffer = to be human = to love.
3 established moments: In beginning they are completely soulless, robots are given physical pain but not suffering, humans stop being able to reproduce, Robots take over and develop a society (one human left), Helena and Primus together to restart
Discuss the role of imagination in Zamyatin’s “We” and Capek’s “R.U.R.”: what role does imagination play in transforming people into machines in “We” vs. transforming machines into people in “R.U.R.”
In We: The new operation is a result of many ciphers developing a soul—which is bad for the One State. It is to get rid of the soul which = imagination/free thought. So then the state requires this great operation for every cipher, which changes them into more robot-like things. They are no longer people, they have wheels for feet and glide instead of walk and transform into ideal ciphers for the state. They are complacent, soulless, and productive. This operation is a way to weaken the revolution, and rid ciphers of ideas/imagination
In RUR: imagination of transforming people in RUR involves how “human” they are, over time, Rossum’s robots become more human without it even being intentional. Rossum wanted to make robot engineers/workers (and that’s how they started), but over time due to the robots feeling pain, it led to the robots suffering as well, and suffering is part of being human so slowly the robots evolved to become empathetic, new people. Came from originally disproving god and making humans their own master, and then evolved to the robots becoming “humans” once again and starting over. Also imagination of Rossum is what created the robots.
Discuss two major ways in which Zamyatin criticizes Bolshevik utopian projects in “We”. Your answer should include an explanation of what exactly his criticism is (what exactly does he determine is wrong with those projects?). Support your answer with analysis of evidence from the text
The Bolsheviks want a society where everyone works for the government, this is shown in ‘We’ by everyone being supported and provided for by the gov, and they wear the same clothes and have similar homes (no individuality). I-330 (the character we identify with) is outspoken about her distaste for the One State’s rules and is part of a huge rebellion against the state itself. Another example is how the Bolsheviks do not want any influence from the outside world while they try to form their perfect utopia (this is exemplified by the Green Wall and the people/nature that lies beyond, it’s a different unknown society that is a threat to the One State’s idea of Utopia). The ancient house and the tunnels are a rebellion against a society that is walled in from the outside.
Explain the philosophy of the One State (as explained to D-503 by the Benefactor). Then explain how I-330’s position directly challenges the One State’s philosophy. Include in your answer ran explanation of their varying positions on happiness, desire, energy, and entropy.
The philosophy of the One State is very calculated and precise. Their philosophy is that of logical thinking, nothing stands above reason, order, and discipline. I-330 does not support it, and that every person should have the right to find happiness and to openly display their desires instead of ignoring personal needs for the sake of the State. Believes displaying desires is what leads to happiness and partaking in desires causes happiness as well. I-330 explains a model of energy and entropy in which entropy is the state and energy are the people, she explains entropy is the dissipation of energy and the home of equilibrium, but energy is the rightful path and chaos is what it means to be human and to be alive.
