Aleksandrov and Simkov’s 1936 work of “Circus” combines the elements of farce, comedy, vaudeville, and melodrama in order to produce a ubiquitously enjoyable, light-hearted tale of heroism in the face of adversity laced with prominent themes of existing world politics and the Soviet socialist cause. The simple plot revolves mainly around the exploits of a fictitious American circus performer, Marion Dixon, and her engagements in love and peril as she tries to seek sanctuary in the Soviet Union in an attempt to escape the bigoted derision she faces in America at the cause of her being the mother to a black child.… Read the rest here
Tag Archives: utopian socialism
Socialist Opinions in an Industrial Society
Robert Owen
Author
- Robert Owen
- English cotton manufacturer
- “Utopian” socialist and workers’ rights advocate
- Headed England’s Revolutionary Trades Union movement in 1830s
- Worked in America/England
Context
- Industrial Revolution is booming
- Working conditions are not good and there are few laws in place to protect them
- In United States, President Andrew Jackson defunded Second Bank of U.S. on March 28 (much to many peoples’ disapproval)
Language
- Negative opinion on the flaws of the system
- Persuasive with extended flowery (yet still understandable) language
Audience
- Literate upper/middle class
- Voters, landowners, business owners (people of everyday influence)
- Great Britain’s people
Intent
- Explain why the current system is so flawed
- Incite change in a bloodless revolution
Message
- Unite as Consolidated Union
- By holding a strong moral influence, help man reach its full potential outside the evil grasps of the current flawed system
Karl Marx
Author
- Karl Marx
- Wealthy middle class
- When this was published he was working as the editor to a paper in Paris
Context
- Industrial Revolution
- Very poor conditions for workers
- France during the July Monarchy
Language
- Very philosophical… breaks down each basic element and defines/redefines to reach a certain conclusion
- Rational
- Easy to understand and follow
Audience
- Workers
- Lower classes of Paris
Intent
- Reach the workers and convince them of a socialist system where they are not devalued
Message
- Political economy based on greed and competition
- Workers are objectified, estranged, and treated poorly in a system based on greed
- People are alienated from their products by the system which contradicts their nature
- Private property causes this estrangement
Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon
Author
- Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon
- Scientist, businessman, and theorist
- Writing had more influence after his death
Context
- France under Napoleon’s constitutional monarchy
- Industrial rev with poor working conditions and a lot of angry, hungry workers
Language
- Emotional and persuasive
- Many questions
Audience
- Working class and middle class
Intent
- Offer an opinion against laissez-faire economics
Message
- Personal and social interests do not always coincide, which is why laissez-faire economics don’t always work
- Those at the top become corrupted while those at the bottom suffer
Comte De Saint-Simon, The Incoherence and Disorder of Industry
Author:(1760-1825), Also known as Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon was a French economist who challenged his nation’s traditional economic composition. He believed that the economy should be strategically industrialized eather than run it a Laissez-faire manner. This was one of the earlier writings advocating socialism. His thinking that the common man was a hard worker demonstrates his positive reflxtion on human nature.
Context: France had always had a capitalist economic structure. Comte de Saint-Simon was a rising political figure in France. … Read the rest here
Zamyatin’s We
Yevgeny Zamyatin’s Dystopian Future novel We, is one of the greatest works of science fiction. We, is remarkable for a number of reasons. The first being that it draws so much from Zamyatin’s own experiences such as his naming of the auditorium. Auditorium-112 was his cell number from his time in jail. The book is a commentary about the new socialist movements in Russia brought to the extremes in the One State. D-503 the narrator, and the main protagonist is a faithful follower of the Benefactor, or the leader of the One State.… Read the rest here
Capitalism and its critics
- The Legacy of Robert Owen to the Population of the World – Robert Owen (1834)
- Author
- Robert Owen (1771-1858)
- English cotton manufacturer
- “Utopian” socialist
- Advocated for universal education for children and workers’ rights
- Context
- Owen is addressing members of the Grand National Consolidated Trades Union of Great Britain and Ireland
- Written during a time of rebellion
- Language
- Negative and outraged at the foundations of society.
- Audience
- For people in rebellion of the unjust system put in place.
- Author