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Saurashtra University Library Service View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Etheses - A Saurashtra University Library Service Saurashtra University Re – Accredited Grade ‘B’ by NAAC (CGPA 2.93) Mankad, Urja M., 2009, “The Dystopian Novels in the First Half of the 20th Century: A Comparative Study of 1984 (George Orwell), Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) and Anthem (Ayn Rand)”, thesis PhD, Saurashtra University http://etheses.saurashtrauniversity.edu/id/838 Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Saurashtra University Theses Service http://etheses.saurashtrauniversity.edu [email protected] © The Author THE DYSTOPIAN NOVELS IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20 TH CENTURY : A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF 1984 (GEORGE ORWELL), BRAVE NEW WORLD (ALDOUS HUXLEY) AND ANTHEM (AYN RAND) DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO SAURASHTRA UNIVERSITY, RAJKOT FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN ENGLISH Supervised by Submitted by Dr. K.H. Mehta Ms. Urja M. Mankad Prof. and Head Smt. S.H. Gardi Institute of English and Comparative Literary Studies, Saurashtra University, Rajkot (Gujarat) 2009 CERTIFICATE This is to certify that this dissertation on THE DYSTOPIAN NOVELS IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20 th CENTURY : A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF 1984 (GEORGE ORWELL), BRAVE NEW WORLD (ALDOUS HUXLEY) AND ANTHEM (AYN RAND), is submitted by Ms. Urja Mukul Mankad for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, in the faculty of Arts of Saurashtra University, Rajkot. No part of this dissertation has been submitted for any other Degree or Diploma. Rajkot Date : Supervisor (Kamal Mehta) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to those who have encouraged and helped me to accomplish the research work. Such a research work would have been impossible without the support of family, relatives, friends and well-wishers. Words will not be enough to express my gratitude to them who have helped me to achieve the dream cherished by my father Late Shri Mukul K. Mankad. I express my profound sense of gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Kamal H. Mehta, Professor and Head, Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies, Rajkot. I am extremely thankful to him for his insightful guidance and kind and encouraging attitude that made this research work a pleasant journey. I thank Professor Avadesh Kumar Singh for his useful remarks. I convey my thanks to Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee for showing me the path to reach the destination. I also thank Dr. Jaydipsinh Dodiya, Dr. Ravisinh Zala, faculties of the Department of English and comparative Literary Studies for their academic support. I am indebted to the different libraries that have provided necessary material pertaining to the dissertation. I thank the Central Library of Saurashtra University, Rajkot, Library of Department of English and Comparative Literary studies, Rajkot, Gujarat Vidyapith Library, Ahmedabad, British Library, Ahmedabad, M.S. University Library, Vadodara, and P.D.M. College Library, Rajkot. I would like to thank Dr. K.M. Jani, Principal P.D.M. College of Commerce, Dr. Dipti K. Trivedi, Lecturer, P.D.M. College of Commerce, Rajkot for their constant support. I am extremely indebted to my mother Manjari M. Mankad who never allowed to me to be disheartened, who never made me feel absence of my papa. I am equally thankful to my parents-in-law, Bipinbhai Mankad and Zaranaben Mankad who bore many inconveniences to provide me the timely help. I will always remain thankful to my husband Ojas Mankad who never let my spirit down and constantly encouraged and helped me. I take this opportunity to thank Rameshbhai Mankad, Uncle-in-law, Shradhdhaben, Sister-in-law, Krutarth, Pankti and all the family members for their ever pleasant attitude. This doctoral dissertation would have never been completed without my family's immense care and assistance in looking after my daughter and household so as to enable me to concentrate on my work. I must not forget to mention thanks in abundance to my lovely daughter Twara who showed great patience and understanding in allowing me to do my work. My sincerest regards to all. Urja M. Mankad CONTENTS Acknowledgements Chapter - I Science Fiction and Dystopia 1 - 47 Chapter - II George Orwell's 1984 48 -124 Chapter - III Aldous Huxley's Brave New World 125 - 202 Chapter - IV Ayn Rand's Anthem 203 - 241 Chapter - V A Comparative Study of 1984 , Brave 242 - 278 New World and Anthem Select Bibliography 280 - 283 CHAPTER - I Science Fiction and Dystopia CHAPTER : I SCIENCE FICTION AND DYSTOPIA "A Science Fiction is a narrative (usually in prose) of short story, novella or novel length. As to what it is about is not easily classifiable. Such stories are about an amazing variety of things, topics, ideas. They include trips to other worlds, quests, the exploration of space, visits to other planets and interplanetary warfare". (quoted by Cuddon : 791) Most people feel that they can recognize Science Fiction when they come across it in their daily lives, whether it is a novel or an episode in a television drama. Indeed, when used as a marketing tool, Science Fiction is defined in broad and inclusive terms, taking in everything from space vessels and laser guns to kooky aliens and vampires. For Science Fiction to be recognized as a distinct genre, there have to be some boundaries, rules or ideal parameters that define what constitutes Science Fiction and exclude what doesn’t. Here are two examples from literature to see where they lead. First, is the classic novel Titus Groan (1946) by Mervyn Peake. In this work, the author portrays the lives of a group of people who exist within the confines of an enormous castle, Gormenghast. This castle is effectively a city unto itself, so huge and labyrinthine that much of it remains unexplored by its current inhabitants who go about their lives according to a set of obsessively detailed scriptures and ancient regulations that give the place a real sense of oppressively looming history. Peake explores in great depth the bizarre environment of these people and examines in telling detail the effect it has on the inhabitants themselves. While in Dune , (1965) Herbert sets out, in much the same manner as Peake, to describe in painstaking detail. An imaginary world, the PLANET Arrakis, and the way of life 1 that its ecology imposes upon its necessarily hardy inhabitants. However, what sets Dune (1965) apart from Titus Groan (1946) is the manner in which its author establishes his invented world. He describes in true ecological terms the physical geography of the planet, even to the consistency of its soil, the various forms of life that may have evolved in this environment over time. Arrakis is a vast parched desert with no water supply of its own. This comparison between two classic works of imaginative fiction, one fantasy, the other science fiction is by no means the final word on the subject, and is at best an over generalization. Science Fiction is a literature concerned with the process by which a depicted environment has become different from our own, or with the means by which humanity finds itself there. This does not rule out narrative elements of intrigue, adventure and so forth. (Mann : 5). It does not imply that Science Fiction will attempt to examine the wider picture, for example by questioning how aliens might have developed on Mars and exploring the effects that their existence could have upon the way in which human beings view themselves and the wider universe. One of the best ways to envisage a time. different from our own, to devise a temporal “laboratory” within which to test new ideas, is to look forward to the future. Science Fiction emphasizes its difference from fantasy by attempting to construct a rational frame work for anything that it describes. Brian Aldiss defines Science fiction thus : Science Fiction is the search for a definition of mankind and his status in the universe which will stand in our advanced but confused state of knowledge (science) and is characteristically cast in the Gothic or Post-Gothic mode”. (quoted by Cuddon : 791) He also defines it more succinctly as "Hubris clobbered by nemesis". 2 Some Science Fictions are concerned with utopia and utopist visions, and also with dystopia. Others are set in the future but are not utopian. Still others are set in the past. Many have a contemporary settings which is somehow influenced by the arrival or invasion of alien beings or by some invention which profoundly alters normality. They are also concerned with technological change and development with scientific experiment with social, climatic, geological and ecological change. Some are concerned with supernatural forces and agencies. They are often fantastic, though they may be rooted in reality. They stretch the imagination. Science Fantasy or Space Opera will use devices derived from Science Fiction to describe new and exciting environments, but in many ways both subcategories remain more true to the pulp-fiction genres of the 1920s and 1930s. This is because they do not bother to make plausible their invented futures, being more concerned with the adventure components of their storylines and more willing to go beyond the realms of scientific plausibility to create spectacular effects.
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