Marisela N. Caylor

June 26, 2013

“Outside Looking In:” A Novice’s Journey through Utopian Literature

Before taking this seminar, I had to admit I did not know too much about “utopias” and Utopian Literature. Like many other readers, I was more familiar with dystopias and Dystopian Literature. We were taught The Lord of the Flies and Nineteen Eighty-Four in high school and later, I read several books about dystopias including: Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games Trilogy, The Passage Series by Justin Cronin, and Veronica Roth’s Divergent Series. Given my exposure to more dystopias than utopias, my education was a great example of Objective 3e. concerning the question: Why do American school curricula emphasize dystopic fiction over utopian fiction? My answer is that dystopias are easier to teach and understand rather than the “long-winded” utopian fictions that read more like a manual than a novel. However, this did not turn me off to Utopian Literature one bit. I understood that there were advantages and challenges to teaching and reading about utopias but they have been well worth my time. My classmates, Michael Luna and Amy Sasser spoke extensively about this objective and their experiences with teaching dystopian novels that clarified the appeal for school districts to teach dystopias rather than utopias. Dystopias offer students a novelistic approach with adventure, dialogue, and action that students crave (Obj. 1a. & 3e.). After reading our texts and learning about intentional communities, the question still lingers whether “Utopias work?” and what does Utopian Literature do to reinforce the belief whether this is possible or impossible? Throughout this essay, I will try to formulate an answer to this question and try to keep an open mind about utopia and its fiction. For the purposes of this essay, I will put myself in the role of “novice” in Utopian Literature like many of the characters in the novels we have read that encounter utopias. My “guides” through Utopian Literature will be our courses’ texts, previous student’s midterms and class discussion, and Dr. White’s knowledge, various handouts, and website information.

          After reading several novels in our course, I have become more comfortable with the “genre” of Utopian Literature. Through Course Objectives 1 and 5, I learned that genre is a huge issue when learning and teaching Utopian Literature. The “utopia” format is elastic and can cross through many other genres, not just Utopian/Dystopian Literature conventions (Obj. 1b). I firmly believe that once a reader understands these conventions of Utopian Literature, the frustration with their “long-windedness” can be resolved. Once it is anticipated, it tends to be less painful. After understanding these conventions of Utopian Literature, I found it less and less frustrating to understand that I would get a long explanation of the utopia’s history, culture, and conventions. As a class, we also discussed the “genre” issue in great length when given a different text to analyze. The Utopian Literature genre becomes more and more different with each text we read but some conventions still remain. Alicia Costello’s 2011 midterm,” The Many Dichotomies of the Place Called Utopia and its Fiction,” notes that “Genres are fickle things to begin with, but adding into the mix the identity crisis of the half-fiction, half-non-utopian novel, and the genre label becomes almost useless.” I agree with Alicia but I still feel that the “conventions” about Utopian Literature are a good way to work through this “identity crisis” with Utopian Literature. The novels of the course that embody this duality include: Charlotte Perkin Gilman’s Herland, Ayn Rand’s Anthem, Ernest Callenbach’s Ecotopia, and later in the semester, Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. The only text that we read this semester that I feel this does not apply would be Thomas More’s Utopia (1516).  

More’s text reads more like a tract or a list of guidelines about a fictional utopia that all other utopias have tried to embody throughout our seminar’s novels. So I see this text as more of a guidebook about utopia rather than a novelistic way to approach utopia. It still has novelistic conventions but is more informative than entertaining. It was the first of its kind and Thomas More is seen as one of the earliest pioneers of Utopian Literature. However, reading through More’s Utopia may have been less enjoyable and more educational; I agree with Dr. White’s statement about the text being “tedious reading, but clear and rewarding—"earned classic" (LITR 5439 Syllabus). I feel like More’s tedious prose was worth reading and provides a great platform to which all other Utopian Literature strives to work from. In Utopia, there is more Socratic dialogue presented which serves as a teaching tool for the reader and “between hypothetical visitor (More) and guide (Hythloday).” Although no one acts as physical “visitor” of Utopia in the book, it is described in great detail how successful this mystical paradise was. My working definition of “utopia” stems from More’s text as the “official” tract that all other Utopian Literature can use to branch out to build their own utopia’s perfect political and social environment. To me, a utopia is a group of people striving for perfection through a communal atmosphere where all its inhabitants share a common vision.

My definition is only an opinion and I have found that everyone has a different view about the definition of utopia. In our class discussions, this issue has come into play when we discuss the seminar’s texts. There are often opposing views about the type of utopia that come into question. If we can read a novel, then come together in the seminar and discuss the utopia, and still leave with some deep-seated questions (at times, due to the time constraints of a Summer course) but mainly due to varying opinions, then Utopias are worth our time and effort. Through our discussions in class, we have found that the authors’ political views and ideologies have found their way into their texts and some have not. Namely, with Thomas More’s Utopia, much of his writing was satire dealing with the political environment in which he wrote the book. We also had a good discussion about Ayn Rand’s politics and her novel, Anthem. My classmates Hannah Wells and Dan Stuart presented informative Web Highlights about Ayn Rand that provided much insight on Ayn Rand’s politics and background. After watching one of her interviews and reading Anthem, I know that I definitely thought her novel reflected much of her ideology and let the reader into her “ideal utopia.” One challenge with Utopian Literature is that of the “author’s intentions.” As students of Literature we are taught to abide by the concept of “the death of the author” and look beyond the author’s intentions. However, it is difficult to do so when we really delve into Utopian Literature and its “fiction” label.  One way to remedy this is to go back to the “conventions” that have proved so useful in this course. We can also look to the “Literature of Ideas” concept to guide us through some difficult scenarios that arise with this genre. Sometimes, utopias are written to entertain us and educate us about our current living conditions. The literature tends to mirror our own insufficiency as a society and offer ideas about a how to achieve life in a “good place.”

Looking through the previous semester’s midterms was another helpful tool that allowed me to resolve any misgivings about Utopian Literature or agree with their opinions about the seminar’s texts. Alicia Costello’s 2011 midterm, “The Many Dichotomies of the Place Called Utopia and its Fiction,” notes that “utopian fiction is often, if not mostly, written chiefly to explain political or social ideas” and More’s Utopia fits this description. Costello's essay explores the “vagueness” of utopian fiction and how the reader can sometimes get bogged down by the tedious political ideals and descriptive social expectations of utopia like More’s Utopia and sections of Callenbach’s Ecotopia or “preached to,” like in Rand’s Anthem (Objective 1a.). I also agreed slightly with her given percentages of entertainment/education value given to More’s Utopia. Costello states “I loosely estimate that most utopian fiction is 30% entertaining and 70% informative” but we are all entitled to our opinions. I saw More’s Utopia as a learner’s manual which was 90% instructional and 10% entertainment (Objective 2e.). As we read through Herland, Anthem, and Ecotopia, the entertainment/novel conventions became more prominent and more entertaining. The essay also focused on the “genre” problem in Utopian Literature. Costello found that labeling the texts “Utopian Literature” would pose a problem because the text “espouses political ideals, but is not a manifesto or essay” and can become lost in the shuffle between non-fiction ideas vs. non-fiction labels. An advantage to cross-labeling the genre would be attracting more readers. Costello defends this idea by offering readers who would not normally gravitate to Utopian Literature, an opportunity to do so when cross-listed. Costello lists another advantage in the literature’s historical context and time-periods. Typically, in Literature seminars we only learn about one time period, whereas in Utopian Literature, we are learning about several time periods and maybe even in the future. Overall, I liked this essay's structure and clarity. I agreed with several of Costello’s advantages and disadvantages of Utopian Literature. However, I did not agree with her statement in which Utopian Literature is not useful in Literature courses. Costello describes that Utopian writers are “subpar to other writers” and lack literary creativity or use “basic literary functions” to appease readers (Objective 1d.). Most of the novels we read in the seminar became more interesting and entertaining as the semester continued. But I do believe Utopian Literature has a place in Literature programs because it can be interpreted through many lenses, much like Literary Theory. Last semester, we analyzed Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games Trilogy using Rhetorical Criticism theories and it worked well for the course. However, I understand that The Hunger Games was more entertaining to analyze rather than Thomas More’s Utopia; I still believe authors of Utopian Literature defend their utopia by offering insight/ideas about a perfect community. I also agree with her assertion that small-scale utopias (nuclear families, small bands of no more than five willing people) would work as a utopia rather than large-scale utopias (large countries or states). This is a concept that I believe would be more feasible rather that one similar to Callenbach’s Ecotopia. Overall, Costello’s essay offered much insight into the advantages of Utopian Literature.

Patrick Locke’s 2011 midterm, “Interpreting Outsider Endorsement of Utopia,” contends that outsiders will find the utopian model “worthy of imitation” but will repress any sort of individuality in this community. I agree with this statement because I feel it would take a lot of time and effort to get everyone to give up their individuality and much like Equality 7-2521 in Anthem, a human’s need for individuality will come to the surface only to ruin utopia. Locke describes “human nature” and “restrictive parameters” come into play only to impede upon the paradise and eventually fail. I agree with Locke’s statement and believe Alicia Costello’s contention that only “small-scale” utopias could succeed due to the lack of total control over the individual and its subversive need to differentiate at one time or another. Not all humans want to be so tightly controlled and they will eventually become non-conformists. The essay goes on to describe utopia’s need to rid the individual of any type of uniqueness like in More’s Utopia by restricting their clothing, dictating their work schedules, eating habits, lack of private property, and child-rearing activities (Obj. 3c.). These actions inhibit the individual and only leave room for conformity. Locke goes onto describe the “tempered human nature” that exists within Herland and used behavioral techniques to render conformity. Out of all the utopias covered in Locke’s essay, he describes Van’s view of Herland the most favorable and worthy of emulation. I agree with Locke but I still wonder what they put in the water in Herland because their utopia seems almost too perfect. Herland’s structure and literary devices attribute to a wonderful Utopian novel which Locke agrees to be true. Locke also explains how Herland questions “gender roles and expectations” and the men as outsiders are constantly at odds because they only compare the women of Herland to their own experiences with the women at home (Objective 3d.). I like the way Locke describes the “outsider” within Ayn Rand’s Anthem, as “a disbeliever…able to question the way things are.” The example of “outsider/narrator” in Anthem is a successful literary device and I enjoy this technique very much. The novel was not “long-winded” but left much to be questioned about the reasoning for dystopia (Objective 1b.). Overall, I enjoyed reading Patrick’s essay of all the three I had read for the assignment. I learned another way the individual can exist in a “successful” utopia is by the society’s “tempering of human nature” and how this will ultimately affect the “outsider’s” perspective of a good place.

LaKisha Jones’ 2009 midterm, “Non-Existence of the Individual in Utopias” has similar themes to Patrick Locke’s essay and deals mostly with the conformity forced on the individual to coexist in utopia. Jones asserts that humans are attracted or detracted by utopias because “of what it could mean for our own society” and that we strive for some sort of order amid the chaos of our own society. The essay goes on to state that humans are striving for something better than the present and utopias purpose is to ask: “What if?” I believe this is a great point in summarizing utopias collectively. Only in Anthem do we see an “insider” become an “outsider” and begin to question the validity of the utopia. Jones describes the chaos and horror that is prevalent in our society and our need for utopia is simply an act of turning the mirror and reflecting our own wishes for an ideal society (Obj. 3a.). Overall Jones’ essay describes a need for conformity for every individual within the utopia. However, giving comparisons to Equality 7-2521 in Anthem, as a dystopia, this ideal would never work because there will always be one person who is unhappy about the way their “utopia” is operating. Again, the notion of “one man’s utopia is another man’s dystopia” comes into play where one person will not conform and be unwilling to give up his/her individuality for the sake of a perfect paradise (Objective 1b.). I agreed with most of Jones’ points and her essay solidified how one person’s lack of conformity can affect an entire utopia.

I remembered Patrick Locke from my Literary Theory course and I learned a lot from him then, as much as I did from his essay. The essay was simple and informational and his perspectives about Utopian Literature were in sync with my opinions. I feel learning from other student’s Model Assignments is ideal for all students because it allows the student an “outside” perspective from others that have taken the course and provide a “fresh take” on Utopian Literature. Reviewing the Model Assignments not only adds value to my individual learning but offers additional information that may not have been covered during class discussions. When we are in a class collectively, I feel students tend to take a certain “stand” or opinion and stick with it, which is typically reflective of their personality. So over time, we learn who will take one side or the other during a discussion. At times, we reach a stalemate and cannot resolve the topic of “Do utopias work?” or we begin to discuss the conventions that are reoccurring in the novel to help us work through this question (Obj. 1a. & 2a.).Reading other semester’s Model Assignments also provides  a pair of “fresh” eyes that have read the material we are currently reading but offers various suggestions/opinions maybe we may have overlooked during our current class discussions.

          As a newbie to Utopian Literature, I was extremely intimidated about reading and comprehending More’s Utopia. His style and prose is “long-winded” and serves to educate rather than entertain, which I was okay with but I still had reservations (Obj. 1e.). After learning from Ruth McDonald’s in-class presentation about More’s life through a series of websites, the material seemed less intimidating and more interesting. More’s Utopia helps set the precedent for all others to embody and maintains a common thread through all other Utopian Literature. The convention of visitor/intruder never comes into the book only through a series of Socratic dialogues. The audience learns through Raphael Hythloday’s travels about this magical utopia. I enjoyed More’s use of current events and current politics to mirror an ideal but fictional world. In Paragraph 1.2f, Raphael describes the current leaders thirst for war, not peace: “For most princes apply themselves more to affairs of war than to the useful arts of peace; and in these I neither have any knowledge, nor do I much desire it; they are generally more set on acquiring new kingdoms, right or wrong, than on governing well those they possess” (More 1.2f). This inquiry does not provide a savory view of the politics of the time in which More penned Utopia (Obj. 3). Raphael also contends that another utopian-like culture exists on his visit to Persia:

But the method that I liked best was that which I observed in my travels in Persia, among the Polylerits, who are a considerable and well-governed people: they pay a yearly tribute to the King of Persia, but in all other respects they are a free nation, and governed by their own laws: they lie far from the sea, and are environed with hills; and, being contented with the productions of their own country, which is very fruitful, they have little commerce with any other nation; and as they, according to the genius of their country, have no inclination to enlarge their borders, so their mountains and the pension they pay to the Persian, secure them from all invasions (More Book 1.5)

This part is similar to Objective 3a. in which a hypothetical “utopia” serves as a historical example for More and his friends. Raphael goes on to describe the typical conventions of Utopia that we have become familiar with in Utopian Literature (Obj. 3d.):

there being no property among them, every man may freely enter into any house whatsoever. At every ten years’ end they shift their houses by lots. They cultivate their gardens with great care, so that they have both vines, fruits, herbs, and flowers in them; and all is so well ordered and so finely kept that I never saw gardens anywhere that were both so fruitful and so beautiful as theirs (2.4c)

More’s job seems to be to describe a more civilized nation where princes do not wage war at the drop of a hat but protect their citizens against tyranny from neighboring countries. More’s Utopia may be a fictional place but definitely mirrors society’s downfalls. As the “grandfather” text of Utopian Literature, More’s Utopia is a valuable resource that catapults More beyond “traditional literary categories” and allows the text to become an activist essay against a tyrannical society and its eventual downfall (Obj. 1d.). Even though More’s Utopia proves to be tedious and more instructional, the end result is valuable in the study of Utopian Literature.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Herland is another text that begins to become more of a hybrid of novel and tract (Obj. 1a.). Three men venture out for an expedition to find a mystical land only populated by women (every man’s utopia?). Terry, Jeff, and Van are perfect embodiments of the archetypes of men in 1915. Once again, the conventions of “visitor/intruder” appear when the men come upon Herland. Van describes the area during a flyover as “a land in a state of perfect cultivation, where even the forests looked as if they were cared for; a land that looked like an enormous park, only it was even more evidently an enormous garden” (1.130). Once again, we see the garden motif similar to The Garden of Eden and in More’s Utopia. Gilman’s novel focuses on the importance of motherhood to the women of Herland and the men’s reaction to being the only men in Herland. This notion challenges gender roles and responsibilities when the men are “studied” and the women are the ones educating the men, all while subtly manipulating the men to divulge information about their homeland and customs (Obj. 3d.). In the novel, Terry seems to be the only one of the three that is frustrated with the role reversal and he begins to revolt when the women do not succumb to his wishes. Herland is a hybrid of novel, willing to entertain but educate at the same time. When the men are educated about Herland, the novel becomes long and instructive but still maintains an intriguing text. While reading Herland, the “History” section was longer than I expected but I pressed on with the book and proved worth it in the end. One of the most interesting concepts in Herland is the absence of men but also, the value placed on motherhood. Motherhood and the role of the mother is held in the highest regard and “power of mother-love, that maternal instinct we so highly laud, was theirs of course, raised to its highest power” (Gilman 5.80). I found this concept rather beautiful and moving but only served to frustrate the men in the novel. Being a mother, I understand the need to maintain a high standard on the care and upbringing of children. Gilman’s utopia mirrored my belief that the safety and education of children is of upmost importance for a society’s success (Obj. 3d.). One concept of Herland that I found difficult to grasp was of the “communal” child-rearing of the children (Obj. 3c). This particular social structure of utopia is common throughout the texts we have read and I would have a hard time abiding to this convention. Unfortunately, utopias tend to gravitate towards communal living in all aspects of life, I would not think letting go of one’s own child would be difficult if it was part of the deal (Obj. 3d.)  I love my children and I would find it hard to have them raised by someone other than myself. The women of Herland took great care of the gardens which provided their food supply and equally took the care to “tend” to their children who would become the future their utopia, Herland.

After reading about the beautiful novel that embraced motherhood and children, we were exposed to the dystopia of repressed children in Ayn Rand’s novel, Anthem. I use the term “exposed” because this novel was frustrating for me to read due to the absence of the word “I.”  Rand’s tense prose proved successful because I felt repressed and chained while reading this novel (Obj. 3c.). I never knew realized not being able to use the word “I” would be so frustrating. In Anthem, we find one of the first examples of an “insider” wanting to become an “outsider:”

Our name is Equality 7-2521, as it is written on the iron bracelet which all men wear on their left wrists with their names upon it. We are twenty-one years old. We are six feet tall, and this is a burden, for there are not many men who are six feet tall. Ever have the Teachers and the Leaders pointed to us and frowned and said: "There is evil in your bones, Equality 7-2521, for your body has grown beyond the bodies of your brothers." But we cannot change our bones nor our body                                                                     (Rand 1.5)

Equality 7-2521 was raised in a communal school with other students and everything about this dystopia is meticulously controlled, including the lack of the word “I.” This forced communal living and constant watch of its citizens controls every aspect of their human nature to be individualistic. As children, the leaders force the children to say a pledge to reinforce this concept: “We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the State. Amen."(Rand 1.14). The dystopia in Anthem reminded me more a cult rather than a utopia based on their way of “brainwashing” the children from an early age (Obj. 3a.). While reading the novel, I grew even more frustrated because I felt I was being “preached” to, not “learning” about the utopia. I suppose this was Ayn Rand’s purpose to frustrate the reader and allow them to feel what it was like for Equality 7-2521. Another reason for my frustration had to do with the leadership that chose the professions of the children as they grew older. In the novel, I felt that the leadership recognized Equality 7-2521’s intelligence and forced him to become a street sweeper to quell his knowledge (Obj. 3b.). His aspirations were crushed when he was not chosen to be in the Hall of Intelligence:

We, Equality 7-2521, were not happy in those years in the Home of the Students. It was not that the learning was too hard for us. It was that the learning was too easy. This is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick. It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them. The Teachers told us so, and they frowned when they looked upon us.                                (Rand 1.16)

All my feelings aside, Anthem proved to become a valuable to text in the study of utopias. Equality’s eventual rise as non-conformist is an interesting take on the validity of “utopias.” In this instance, I feel that the utopia/dystopia was not successful because it was producing people who did not embody individuality. I value individuality in the highest regards which is why I found this novel entirely frustrating among any of the other texts. The other utopias appeal for their citizens to conform; however, in Anthem this idea is taken too far. Although, I understand its appeal to younger readers and acknowledge its value in getting young people to question what is going on around them (Obj. 3e.). Another advantage to Rand’s prose is the physical feeling of repression that Equality feels becomes translated to the audience through her words. Rand was successful in this respect and we learned through class discussion and learning about how her ideologies left a lasting impression in her novel, Anthem. For me, this novel solidified the idea that utopias “don’t work” because there will always be one person who will challenge conformity vs. individualism and become an “outsider.”

          As Anthem left me stifled and wanting some “fresh air,” Ernest Callenbach’s novel, Ecotopia came in to offer a sense of relief. William Weston is the “outsider” of the novel that visits Ecotopia in the hopes of reporting his findings on an unsuccessful utopia back to his readers in the United States. Ecotopia has since seceded from the U.S. and has a deep dislike of anything “American.” This novel was interesting because it calls into question the idea of the United States as a utopia. According to the novel, it is not that is why Ecotopia exists in the Northwest part of the U.S. William Weston is the visitor who is set to report on Ecotopia and hopefully, find it substandard compared to the good ol’ U.S.A. His first impressions after arriving in San Francisco are reminiscent of the men’s arrival at Herland. Weston’s first thoughts of the Ecotopians:

and their manners are even more unsettling. On the streets there are electrical moments when women stare me directly in the eyes; so far I’ve looked away, but what would happen if I held contact? People seem to be very loose and playful with each other, as if they had endless time on their hands to explore whatever possibilities might come up.                                                              (Callenbach 10-11)

Weston’s initial encounter with the Ecotopians make him feel out of place, like an outsider but they do not appear to be unfriendly. Weston’s own preconceived notions are what drive him to feel this way about the people of Ecotopia. I related much more to Weston’s perception of Ecotopia. This is the way I felt coming into Utopian Literature, like an “outsider” that would not understand utopias. Ecotopia also has been turned into a garden and gone “back to nature” as Weston describes:

“The bucolic atmosphere of the new San Francisco can perhaps best be seen in the fact that, down Market Street and some other streets, creeks now fun. These had earlier, at great expense, been put into huge culverts underground, as is usual in the cities. The Ecotopians spent even more to bring them up to ground level again…you may see a charming series of little falls, with water gurgling and splashing, and channels lined with minnow in the water…”                                                          (Callenbach 13)

Weston is astonished to see the beauty of Ecotopia and soon learns how independent the nation is after visiting several factories and eventually meeting his “guide” through Ecotopia, Marissa. I feel Marissa plays an important factor in Weston’s conversion about Ecotopia. Weston is cynical from the very beginning but soon finds Ecotopia a paradise when he sees it through Marissa’s eyes. I do not feel she necessarily plays into the convention of “love interest” for Weston (I feel he loves her but she does not love him) but serves as a “spiritual guide” through the utopia. Eventually, after learning the ways of “free-love,” war-games, and a common vision of community, Weston is able to finally understand the appeal of utopia (Obj. 3d.). Ecotopia’s social values enforce a “cooperation vs. competition” mentality that is foreign to Weston. I believe Marissa to be an important connection to Weston’s eventual conformity to Ecotopia, Weston describes Marissa:  “She seems capable of anything—she’s the freest and least anxious person I’ve ever known. To the extent I can get in on this, I begin to feel high and a little strange, as if I was on some kind of drug” (Callenbach 74). My classmate, Jacob McCleese oversaw the novel’s class discussion, which led to remarkable dialogue about the role of Marissa and the eventual reason for Weston’s permanent stay in Ecotopia. As readers, we encounter Weston as a “broken” man who has to leave his children on another assignment, divorced, and in an unstable relationship with Francine back in New York. So Weston appears to the audience as a lost man who is “looking” for something which fits into the conventions of novel and Utopian Literature. Once he begins to socialize with the Ecotopians, namely Marissa, he begins to see this way of life as unobtrusive and ideal for a man who is used to getting his way in life. Weston is “initiated” towards the end of the novel, and ultimately conforms to Ecotopia’s conventions. I found this novel to be refreshing and positive about utopias, but the middle of the novel became too “talky” and more like a history lesson. Either way, this novel was amazing and made me definitely change my view about utopias. However, I do not completely believe that utopias work, but this genre is fascinating in trying to change its readers’ minds about the potential paradise that is utopia. Ecotopia does an amazing job about painting utopias in a more positive light with its self-sustaining economy and preaches more “cooperation vs. competition” (Obj. 3a.).

Another interesting aspect of this course is the examination into intentional communities such as Twin Oaks. I had the pleasure to research the Web Review for Twin Oaks and present it to the class for discussion and found some fascinating aspects about intentional communities. Twin Oaks was set up as an experimental community based on the book Walden Two by psychologist B.F. Skinner. The community has been in existence since 1967 and has about one hundred inhabitants who share communal meals, duties, and receive work-credits instead of money for their work within the community. The goal of Twin Oaks is for its citizens to adhere to Skinner’s notion of “industrious behavior” being achieved using his behavioral techniques. Although, Twin Oaks is no longer a Walden Two behaviorist community, Skinner’s techniques are still prevalent in Twin Oaks. Of all the utopias we have read, the Twin Oaks community seemed to resemble Ecotopia but on a smaller scale. Twin Oaks has sustained for over forty years but it has remained a small-scale utopia (Obj. 3a.). This example is what I believe would work for a utopia to sustain, the smaller-scale community. I loved learning about this community and found its vision of a self-sustaining communal environment something to strive for but I still grapple with the convention of “community ownership vs. private property.” Everything is shared at Twin Oaks, including cars, chores, bicycles, and in some cases, your significant other (by choice not force). I do not know if I would be okay with this concept but it does sound appealing to live in a community that is eager to work together to sustain itself. Intentional communities lead to an interesting discussion about planned communities. A presentation on planned communities by my classmate, Munira Omari highlighted the Celebration USA community in Celebration, Florida. This community was fascinating and would be my ideal place to live. I have a “romanticized” view of planned communities being a utopia away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Celebration boasts its own community center, school district, shopping center, and intranet system just for the community (freemarket capitalism-Obj. 3b.). The technology aspect is fascinating because it creates a virtual utopia that is exclusive to Celebration, almost a utopia within a utopia (Obj. 4d.). Planned communities are unique in still exercising “private property vs. community ownership.” Intentional communities pride themselves on communal living, dining, and equality. In the planned communities, families still enjoy a private home with the advantage of socializing with their neighbors if they choose to but of course, not required to. Another interesting concept in planned communities is the shift from the suburbs to the exurbs. I learned more about suburbs and exurbs as utopia from my classmate, Kristine Vermillion who led a discussion of the “suburbs as utopia” concept and a current trend to move to rural communities. The discussion focused on the greater Houston area and a debate ensued about Houston’s massive growth in the last twenty years. The areas of Houston once known as “suburbs” and “exurbs” have become dissolved into the Houston metropolitan area due to a mass exodus of people coming to Houston for potential jobs and financial security. Ironically, my family and I are moving out of Houston and heading west to California to another area that is experiencing a similar population growth.

Overall, my journey through Utopian Literature has proved both educational and entertaining and I have learned so much from the texts, handouts, previous Model Assignments, and class discussions and presentations. As a novice of Utopian Literature, my journey through utopias has benefited mostly from the Literature of Ideas concept, utopian novels, our course objectives, and Conventions handout.  My special interest in utopias has stemmed from intentional communities, like Twin Oaks to the suburbs as a model for utopia. I find this subject fascinating and completed my first Research Post based on D.J. Waldie’s book, Holy Land which tells about his experience living in the Lakewood community in Southern California. While researching the suburbs and further class discussion, I have decided to research the exurbs as another potential utopian community. There is a movement of suburban communities to more remote locations further and further from the city which will become the subject of my second Research Post.  I am also anxious to discuss Margaret Atwood’s speculative fiction novel, Oryx and Crake. This novel is one of my all-time favorite books and provides a realistic view of what can actually happen on Earth at any time or in the very near future. My experiences with dystopian literature only lead to a fascination with utopian novels. Even though they are “wordy” and long, they still prove invaluable to my education as a Literature major and prove useful in understanding why my utopia becomes another’s dystopia.