Creative Engagement - Week 10 - "Wells' Modern Utopia"

 

An interesting comparison of More's "Utopia" could be H.G. Wells version of "A Modern Utopia". In this story, Wells compares many of the same things in society that More does. One of these things is a description of what a Utopian man would look like. His description a Utopian Man doesn't seem to fit the narrator's ideal which is different from some of the images that we find in More's Utopia. It does not seem proven that Wells' Utopia is in fact the Utopia that he desires. Instead, it feels more of a science fiction based story but the similarites of discussion society are the same. Wells'' goes into discussion of economics, education, and religion just like More. The comparison's to More's story are extremely noticeable and I enjoyed reading parts of Wells' "A Modern Utopia" because I could compare the two stories. I found a reliable link to the story online and DARE you to at least take a little time out to the read a passage or two. Here is the link: http://www.online-literature.com/wellshg/modern-utopia/3/

The Accessibility of Utopia to Modern Day Readers

The Accessibility of Utopia to Modern Day Readers

Sir Thomas More’s “Utopia” was written around 500 odd years ago in a different country and language, yet it is still a valid link to a contemporary understanding of the nature of human beings, of social norms, and morals. Through More's Utopia, it becomes evident that the trans-historical and trans-cultural nature of the text emerges through More's conscious and subconscious inclusion of universal human truths, in particular those of happiness, money and values, which allows the reader a higher quality of textual engagement and insight.

While More may be intending to simply tell the story of a traveler's voyages and sagas, it is his inclusion of these certain universal values and beliefs that readily transcend from his 15th century pen to the my understanding of the story.  In the text itself, a surprising incorporation by More is the inclusion of himself as an actual major character, with the other being the protagonist Raphael Hythlodaeus, a bearded traveler of the world. The inclusion of More in the story is one of the reasons why the story is so accessible. The character of More certainly reflects Sir Thomas More and due to Sir More’s ability to incorporate his beliefs, the story begins to exhibit a greater meaning. It is due to More’s pure genius partially.

Another way that the story survives throughout time is through many of the underlying themes. One theme being the difference between a person’s moral take on society and the real take on society. Everyone has an idea of what they expect or want society to be like. Then, there is the reality of society. This difference can strain people and frustrate them. Utopia is so easy to relate to because everybody wants to have their ideal society realized. It can be argued that More’s Utopia didn’t totally match his ideal. However, it was a society that he was much more accepting of.

One tool that More effectively uses is satire to connect modern day readers. Satire like More’s is used today which makes it very relatable. The Colbert Report is an excellent example of the use of political satire which More would probably greatly appreciate. The name “Utopia” literally means “no place” which sets the tone for the stories satirical nature. One example of satire that relates to modern day satire is when the Utopians ban their lawyers because they are "clever practitioners and sly interpreters of the law." This is a satirical remark because it is both funny, yet sets the standard talk about something serious. Other satirical remarks that can relate to modern readers are criticisms of church practices, political corruption, and social ills. Parody and humor allow More to expose areas of legitimate concern, even if it is indirectly. Political satire usually stirs an opinion in any person which is possibly the strongest connecting theme of them all.

The Savages Were Courteous?

    In the online link, the Norton Anthology describes people who were irreducibly alien as having a "surprising instability in the Elizabethan Imagination". This may be seen by some as startling initially due to the propaganda-natured writing that was assigned this week. It would appear that nearly all of the writing portrays the Natives in a negative light. However, in a more focused second pass reading it appears that the authors of these discoveries could not help but to feel some form of respect for the natives.
    In George Best’s discourse of “Frobisher’s Voyages”, it is obvious that Best wanted to perceive the native Eskimos in a negative light. The initial thing to notice is that he calls the savages. However, in the first interaction between the “savages” and his own crew, Best explains that “Our men offered them like kindness aboard our ships, but neither admitted or trusted the other’s courtesy” (929). The words to note in this quotation are “likeness and courtesy”. These are two characteristics that one would be tough to attribute to a savage and it appears that Best almost accidentally called the Natives this. Another contradiction made by Best is when he describes the houses of the Eskimos on “Countess’s Island”. He initially labels them as “poor caves and houses” (931) but then concedes that the “whales’ bones... were handsomely compacted in the top together” (931). He admires the Eskimos after he disapproves of them. The most peculiar part of Best’s document is how he decided to end it. Best writes that “when we made him signs that they were slain and eaten, he earnestly denied, and made signs to the contrary” (932). The word to focus on is “earnestly” because it is an adjective that Best did not have to add. He did it to show the seriousness and sincerity that the Eskimo showed. This also puts the Eskimos into a somewhat positive light which could be seen as a conflicting view that Best might have been faced with.
    The accounts of Drakes landing in California also provides a positive light for the natives that were encountered. Although these accounts do not explicitly label the natives as “savages”, the accounts do spend enough time on the topic of sacrificing, that the intent to implicitly call the natives “savages” is clear. However, the text also displays a strong for of respect for the natives. One of the first things that Drake’s account admits is a certain affinity for the natives king, as they describe him as of “goodly stature and comely personage” (933). The accounts also explain the natives initial reaction to Christianity. The text reads that the natives “were greatly affected” by the scriptures of Christianity. It does go on to explain that they restored back to their original religious ways. Nonetheless, it should be viewed as important that the natives were affected by the religion for at least some time because it shows that the natives could someday be “saved”. Although “The Wider World” is ladened with intense propaganda, it should still be noted that there is a form of conflict that spans all of the accounts of travel, in regards to their native counterparts.