Mario Grill, BA Darkness Always Finds the Light: Emotion and Narrative in Kim Stanley Robinson’s Three Californias MASTER THESIS submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Programme: Master's programme English and American Studies Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt Evaluator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexa Weik von Mossner Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik Klagenfurt, April 2019 Affidavit I hereby declare in lieu of an oath that • - the submitted academic thesis is entirely my own work and that no auxiliary materials have been used other than those indicated, • - I have fully disclosed all assistance received from third parties during the process of writing the thesis, including any significant advice from supervisors, • - any contents taken from the works of third parties or my own works that have been in- cluded either literally or in spirit have been appropriately marked and the respective source of the information has been clearly identified with precise bibliographical references (e.g. in footnotes), • - to date, I have not submitted this thesis to an examining authority either in Austria or abroad and that • - when passing on copies of the academic thesis (e.g. in bound, printed or digital form), I will ensure that each copy is fully consistent with the submitted digital version. I understand that the digital version of the academic thesis submitted will be used for the pur- pose of conducting a plagiarism assessment. I am aware that a declaration contrary to the facts will have legal consequences. Mario Grill e.h. Klagenfurt, 01.04.2019 (Signature)* (Place, date) For my sister Table of Contents AFFIDAVIT ........................................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................................... V INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 7 PART I EMOTIONS, LITERATURE, AND SCENARIOS OF THE FUTURES .................... 12 CHAPTER 1 SETTING THE TONE: FROM EMOTION TO LEARNING THROUGH FICTION ............... 13 1.1 APPROACHES TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF EMOTION ........................................................... 14 1.2 HOW LITERATURE FOSTERS EMOTIONAL UNDERSTANDING ........................................................... 21 CHAPTER 2 IMAGINING UTOPIAN DREAMS .................................................................................... 28 2.1 HOW TO FULFILL A WISH – INTRODUCING UTOPIA ......................................................................... 30 2.2 THE DARK SIDE OF THE UTOPIAN IMAGINATION – WELCOME TO DYSTOPIA ................................. 35 2.3 PARADISE REFORMED –THE CRITICAL UTOPIA ............................................................................... 39 PART II DREAMING OF POTENTIAL FUTURES .................................................................. 42 CHAPTER 3 IMAGINING A BETTER PLACE: SIMULATION, EMOTION, AND THE STRUGGLE TO KEEP THE UTOPIAN PULSE BEATING .................................................................................................. 43 3.1 IMAGINING A STORYWORLD TO FEEL WITH THE CHARACTERS ....................................................... 45 3.2 PURSUING HOPES AND DESIRES FOR A BETTER FUTURE IN PACIFIC EDGE ..................................... 48 3.2.1 Utopia and its Flaws ...................................................................................................................... 48 3.2.2 Struggle Forever to Keep the Dream Alive ................................................................................... 55 3.2.3 Criticism From the ‘Outsiders’ - Where Did We Go Wrong? ...................................................... 57 3.3 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................... 64 CHAPTER 4 BEING AN ALIEN IN DYSTOPIA: SUCCUMBING TO FEARS OR BELIEVING IN THE TRANSFORMATION TO RECLAIM UTOPIA? ......................................................................................... 65 4.1 ON BEING AN ALIEN BOTH EMOTIONALLY AND SOCIALLY ............................................................ 67 4.2 FLIGHT, FIGHT, FREEZE FOR A BETTER WAY OF LIVING IN THE GOLD COAST ................................ 71 4.2.1 Fear of the Unknown ..................................................................................................................... 71 4.2.2 Believing in the Possibility of a Better Place ................................................................................ 77 4.3 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................... 83 CHAPTER 5 DRAWING ON THE PAST TO REMEMBER THE POST-APOCALYPTIC FUTURE ............ 84 5.1 THE POWER OF (EMOTIONAL) MEMORIES ........................................................................................ 88 5.2 THE WILD SHORE: IF YOU WANT TO REBUILD YOU HAVE TO TEAR EVERYTHING DOWN FIRST? .. 91 5.2.1 Remains of the Eco-Apocalypse ................................................................................................... 93 5.2.2 Re-Constructing a Bygone World ................................................................................................. 98 5.2.3 Utopia Rearising – A Happy Beginning? .................................................................................... 102 5.3 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................... 106 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................... 108 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................... 111 iv Acknowledgments Both researching and writing this thesis have been a lengthy process and I have many people that helped me realize this project. First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Alexa Weik von Mossner. It was her enthusiastic teaching approach that sparked my interest to explore utopian and dystopian literature from a cognitive literary per- spective. Her constant help and stimulating feedback challenged me to refine my arguments and to push myself to create a work I am proud of. As this chapter in my academic life is about to come to a close, I am already looking towards the future and its myriad possibilities. I am particularly thankful to Dr. Weik von Mossner for providing me with the opportunity to con- tinue researching literature from a cognitive literary perspective. While I focused on potential American futures in this study, I will soon set out to research Chicana/o literature and how a cognitive approach and our imaginative engagement with this type of ethnic American literature can help contribute to a better understanding of the contemporary political comate in the United States. A great thank you goes out to the members of the English department for the many productive and critical exchanges and conversations we had on this thesis which helped in so many ways. A special thank you goes out to Dr. Matthias Klestil and Marijana Mikić who encouraged me to keep on working even though this endeavor seemed too big from time to time. Thank you too, Rachel Köberl, for your meticulous readings of my chapters. A part of this thesis was written during my exchange semester at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and this stay helped me to refine many of my arguments and to put them into the right perspective. I am also grateful for the support of the Office of Academic Affairs and for the support grant I have received. This grant allowed me to travel to New York and to meet with Patrick Colm Hogan whose theories have been influential in my thesis. In addition, this grant also made it possible for me to visit San Diego where I could answer some questions I had had regarding California’s role in Kim Stanley Robinson’s novels. In San Diego, I was able to find essential sources for my research and already have learnt a lot about Mexican-Americans and seen the infamous border in real life. Both New York and San Diego provided me with valuable experiences and essential information for this and future endeavors. Finally, a special thank you goes out to my most beloved ones for their support during this time. I could never have pursued and fulfilled this desire if it were not for you. Your unwa- vering support, encouragement, and kindness shape this world into a happier and a better place. Thank you for making me brave. v “Sometimes the future changes quickly and completely, and we are left with only the choice of what to do next. We can choose to be afraid of it, to stand there trembling not moving, assuming the worst that can happen or we step forward into the unknown and assume it will be brilliant. “ (Grey’s Anatomy 2014) vi Introduction Looking into the future is quite unlike looking back into our pasts. The past is already written down and sometimes only a distant memory. The future, on the other hand, is filled with un- certainties and potential ifs for we do not know what may lie ahead. When we try to imagine the future, the scenarios that come to mind are