Daniel B. Stuart

Midterm Part 2a

June 25, 2013

Utopian Literature As Theoretical Social Experiment

          Upon entering the course, Utopia was very much a mystery. Having read books which presented dystopias, I hardly knew what to expect; the word itself conjures up several images and themes. There was and remains the sense that it is an impossible ideal, much like the fanciful cover of a book, a brochure advertising a haven from the real world or merely the description of someplace (some traditionally idealized condition) that one enters into whereupon their life is at the same time complete and sustained. I envision utopia much like Atwood I suppose renders her books to be speculative fiction: it's a place that could happen, though perhaps is not likely to happen. In reading the first half of the course's texts, I've confirmed this notion that utopia is very much an arrangement of people, place and matter that incorporates modern ideas as well as contemporary modes of existence. It isn't a fairy tale and is certainly, if indeed it is utopia, not a restrictive, overly strict habitat of closed-minded individuals. It is an intentional community but not a compulsory lifestyle, a cooperative effort and yet not a place that is seriously contingent on each individual to save the world. In many ways it is merely a place for people who want to be a part of something in which the current alternative can't provide for them. This desire, in many cases, can override the logistical defects a utopia may face. Obstacles can often be overcome even when the lack of funds, resources or manpower seem wholly deficient.

          Everything fits together rather nicely for the Utopians and their island community as Hythloday describes it to the narrator. There is a (somewhat off-putting) military-like precision to the way things are done and there is a notable drawback of only being able to encounter the one resident, an ambassador, of the seemingly perfect society. We don't get a firsthand look at any real citizens and can only guess at how the more lay subjects of the kingdom enact such noble intentions. It is  above all an equal society almost wholly devoid of the social ills plaguing (then) modern civilization. People "naturally" act in good grace toward one another and do only that which can be undertaken or enjoyed which may be productive and not hurt another. "The Utopians therefore regard the enjoyment of life--that is, pleasure--as the natural object of all human efforts, and natural, as they define it, is synonymous with virtuous" (More, 92). This objective very much reinforces the idea of utopia as a literary experiment, a notion to be explored on a theoretical basis and designed to suggest an alternative to the current social structures (Obj. 3, 3e). Utopia is not, then, to be taken as seriously as all that; it's not the entire municipal code and its implications which are intented to be under scrutiny but rather the very circumstance that there is an alternative way of living which may be comparably better to the current system.

          "Her sense of self-determination is unshakeable," William Weston relates of his recent co-habitation and partnership with Marissa Brightcloud, later adding that "it is hard to take her insistence on coming and going" (Callenbach, 101). Just as in Herland, and to a degree in Utopia, gender in utopian literature like Ecotopia introduces women of a more independent, even confrontational disposition. It's not as if they have all become radical feminists with an agenda of overturning patriarchal traditions, nor are they out to prove to the world that they can do anything men can do. Rather they are merely more integrated entities in a more collective whole. They have been made a part of the dominant group rather than assimiliated themselves into its conventional framework. In Ecotopia especially, we observe that women carry very feminine traits. They are not masculinized figures of productive industry; they have not merely assumed male roles inside the new civilization. On the contrary, their inherent spiritual gifts, sense of nature and almost mystical intuitive skills are given a place in the society, granted respect and authority. Thus they are naturally endowed with the liberty, in many ways, to overrule traditional mannerisms and behaviors commonly associated with the old ways, this to the initial chagrin of Weston whose more used to a predictable woman he has more control over (Obj. 3e).

          It's certainly true that many of the early Utopian literature underrepresents ethnic identities and multiculturalism. There are, predictably, no faces of color in Republic, City of God, Utopia or even Herland although you could make the argument that the near East was as multi-ethnic a place by ancient standards and Augustine was, after all, African. Just like the Utopian vision of the future previews splendid gardens and natural grandeur, it is largely free of interracial portrayals. Segregated societies in Herland and Looking Backward can account for much of this rendering as can the fact that the authors themselves were largely not involved in more ethnically-tinged sociological concerns. Ecotopia, however, does deal with the issue of race as well as the issue of segregation and apartheid. Callenbach though seems content to initially smooth over any rustlings of discrimination by saying how great the industry and economy of Soul City is compared to many of the white areas ("Black enterprises, it is sometimes said, are more naturally collectivist than those in white areas" (99). Although it is ironic how the author hints that black students are "bilingual," having mastered both English and street dialect, he little knowing that 20 years later the city of Oakland would hold an official ruling over the introduction of Ebonics to the school curriculum. The section dealing with race ends on an honest note however, noting how the continuance of discord between the races is a major issue in Ecotopia, threatening to undermine its ideology (Obj. 4a, 4b).

          Utopia is a possibility, a very practical possibility even. Intentional communities and societies along the lines of collectivist utilitarianism can succeed, can function. And yet we still find that even when the perfect or near-perfect civilization has been erected, has come together in earnest cooperative fashion, the old issues of life like competing political factions, insufficient

resources, separate but equal living conditions and discord at an interpersonal level still exist. Literature is a way of not only approaching the subject of utopias but of engaging the public in speculation. Most would agree that experimental communities can work; they have been and still are functioning for years. A primary issue seems to be the size and personnel involved. It is unlikely that an Ecotopia incorporating the entire Pacific Northwest could exist. A Herland on the other hand might be a more viable alternative owing to its isolated though self-sustaining locale and homogeneity of population.

Works Cited

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. Herland. New York: Pantheon, 1979.

More, Thomas. Utopia. New York: Penguin, 2004.

Rand, Ayn. Anthem. Caldwell: Caxton, 2010.

Midterm Part 2b

June 25, 2013

Utopia and Gardening: An Investigation

          Lots of people seem to get into gardening in their later years. I don't really know why this is; flowers and plants seem a very nice thing to look at rather than deal with, especially when your knees hurt. Gardens in real life seem to ferment our mutual kinship with the botanical world. Humans can control, or at least share the influence of control over their destiny in some marginal way. Perhaps it is a liberating exercise, freeing the mind of conscious thought much like meditation or painting. Gardens are also, of course, a key staple of utopian literature, conventions which carry not only symbolic meaning but key staples of the texts' identity (Conventions). In a more intricate way, gardening represents a communal partnership, a cooperative enterprise and constant reminder to utopians that "we are in this together, for the long haul." The garden speaks its own language, addressing citizens with a utilitarian pride, displaying the collective satisfaction at the potential and production which an intentional community may have.

          Among the first things Edward Bellamy notices upon looking out over the rooftops of Boston are the absence of chimneys, to which his host replies in response that that outmoded method of combustion had been done away with years ago. Instead, the variety of brick and concrete so prevalent in the latter half of the nineteenth century has been replaced with clumps of trees interspersed with fountains and little park gardens (Bellamy, 88). Enamored by his new surroundings and charmed by his hosts, the narrator and author of Looking Backward proceeds on his Socratic mode of interaction, questioning them about his new surroundings. It turns out that Boston is no longer a fully functioning industrial town at the height of the American progressive era. Rather it has become a "garden city," a community dedicated to cultivating its own vegetative growth not unlike More's Utopia in which each allotment has its own garden intended to be taken care of by the occupants. Everyone, it seems, is supposed to like gardening (there really is no alternative).

          "There was a strange hush over everything," recalls William Weston upon first observing San Francisco's market street in Ecotopia. Instead of loud, cranky city streets more akin to New York City, the boulevard is a strange blend of botanical essence and tranquil harmony. No traffic or buses, no exhaust or steam; only the quiet yet satisfying hum of the few fully automated motor cars and bicycles. Plants, all kinds of plants, are everywhere engendering the aesthetic of the scene with a strange calming motif. As the interloper, Weston is keen to notice all of the little differences, particularly observant of how the natives defend their influx of gardens and plant life as offsetting the "social costs" of living (Callenbach, 11-13). In fact the Ecotopians are so keen on their gardens and forests, on not only the cultivation but the utilization of their productive plant industry, that they verge on what the narrator feels might be a form of "tree worship" to which he would not be surprised one bit if they were (55). The forests themselves are source of sacred, almost mystical elements of inspiration for the residents who have no qualms about portioning off areas designated as wilderness in order to preserve the natural beauty of their land. In a way, this is the ethos of Ecotopia, gardening and forestry are much more empassioned pursuits than ranching or herding. In a sense, their world is seen as not just a human cooperative, but an organic cooperative, incorporating the ideology that investing in the earth and its richness can yield rewards far greater than any sort of competitive enterprise could do. There can be no competition with the earth, its soil. It yields as it will as long as humans are diligent in their attendances on it. Perhaps that is the essence of Ecotopia and the real reason why outsiders feel their ways are strange.

          Observed in a class presentation the first week was the community of Twin Oaks, a place among many others where gardening and cultivation of the land was and is a staple of the society. And not just a staple because people need to eat, or that fruits and vegetables can be bartered, but that gardening is an almost spiritual component within the life of the intentional community. It is almost the equivalent of Sunday worship. We have observed how both Weston and Bellamy, as strangers in a strange land, have interacted with their tour guides--gimmicky beautiful women for narrative appeal--and seen how each have reached a conclusion through interviewing techniques (Obj. 2a, 2b). In each, the story is neither purely speculative fiction nor pure travelogue though those genres' bounds are overlapped with, well, another subgenre--environmental fiction (books by Barbara Kingsolver, T.C. Boyle and the like) (Obj. 1b, 1c). Utopian fiction in so many ways is concerned with the environment because, well, what's nastier and more dystopian than dead plants and animals from pollution or an oil spill, or the heating of the planet? Consequently, what could symbolize utopian vision more than an attempt at nurturing the environment; hence gardening as a staple of utopian fiction? Also viewed recently was a clip of author Margaret Atwood tending her vast, green garden. Is it any wonder that she will be next up on our list of readings? Are there any utopian people not fond of gardening? Perhaps that could serve as a good research post?

Works Cited

Bellamy, Edward. Looking Backward 2000-1887. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1917.

Callenbach, Ernest. Ecotopia. Berkeley: Banyan Tree, 2004.

Conventions of Utopian/Dystopian Literature. White Coursesite. UHCL

More, Thomas. Utopia. New York: Penguin, 2004.