Totalitarian Literature
Katholische Universität Eichstätt Ingolstadt
PS American Utopian Fiction
SS 2006
Vanessa Steinrötter, MA
Totalitarian Utopian Fiction
vorgelegt von:
Cora Hommel
Schottenau 50
85072 Eichstätt
Sozialkunde (LA Gym)
Anglistik (LA Gym)
2. Fachsemester
frieda_felli@yahoo.de
1. List of contents
1. List of contents
2. Introduction
2.1 What is totalitarianism
2.2 Origins of dystopian, totalitarian literature
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
3.1 Summary
3.2 Historical background and totalitarian aspects of the novel
4. 1984 by George Orwell
4.1 Oceania as an infallible totalitarian state
5. How close has society come to Bradbury’s and Orwell’s visions
6. Summary
7. Bibliography
2. Intoduction
2.1 What is totalitarianism
The term totalitarian derives from the Latin term total – extensive and is the main component of the political System called totalitarianism.
The term arose in the early 1920’s in fascist Italy and since this time has been the official descriptive name for states who occur to be the opposite of a free and liberal state.
Totalitarian states are often called dictatorships and usually show some the following features:
- No separation of powers. Executive, Legislative and Judicial power are all controlled by one institution or person
- Ideology is trying to get into all aspects of life
- People are drafted in mass organisations
- Politization and conforming of society
- Government is using terror and violence to realize its goals
- Strong Censorship
- Limitation of freedom of press, freedom of assembly and the right of expressing oneself about any subject and in any forum
- Certain people and organisations are suppressed by the regime
- Enemies of state and dissentients are segregated or eliminated.
History has shown the world a couple of different totalitarian regimes like the fascist Italy under Mussolini, Germany during the third Reich, Afghanistan under the Taliban and many more.
But even...
View Full Essay
