Visions of Utopia in Bellamys Looking Backward Essay -- Looking Back

Visions of Utopia in Looking Backward  Ã‚   Edward Bellamy addressed many of the topics crucial to the development of a civilization in his book, Looking Backward. In the story he addresses several different features of years past utopias. Some being "universal harmony, distribution of occupation according to individual aptitudes, equality of reward, universal ease and comfort, reduction of hours of labor, suppression of idleness, of competition, of the struggle for life, and also for money" (De Laveleye). Many of these topics Bellamy addresses in a positive manner; while others he does not. In Bellamy's book, Looking Backward, a character named Julian West suffers from insomnia. Because of his condition, he is put into a soundproof chamber. He falls asleep and does not wake up for over one hundred years. His story is about the civilization that he discovers when he wakes up. America has developed into a socialistic country and is standing on the brink of utopia. Bellamy addresses inequality in his book, Looking Backward. In the old times; inequality was cured by making the greedy industrial. In this new utopia, there is no need for inequality because everyone has the same. "There shall be no individual production of property and no individual accumulation of it. It shall be produced by the state, and distributed by the state equally to all individuals, without any reference to their function in producing it, intellectually or physically" (Harris). This simply states that in Bellamy's utopia it makes no difference what your social standing is; everyone is given the same amount of supplies and money. Bellamy addresses the distribution of professions in Looking Backward. It is quite obvious to realize that the more pl... ...speak it from time to time. In this way, Bellamy tires to show that his utopia is non-discriminatory. Edward Bellamy addressed several very tough subjects in his book, Looking Backward. He did this by attempting to create an interesting story in which people could find his views on the future of America as an utopia. Although his attempt at literary fame failed; Bellamy did succeed in exposing possible solutions to many of the problems that still plague our country today: fair job placement, material possessions and poverty, unregulated capitalism, and discrimination. Bibliography Taylor, Walter Fuller. "Edward Bellamy", The Economic Novel. 1897 Bowman, Sylvia E. "Bellamy's Missing Chapter", The New England Quarterly. 1958 DeLaveleye, Emile. "Two New Utopia's", Contemporary Review. 1890 Harris, W.T. "Edward Bellamy's Vision", The Forum. 1889