Edward Bellamy published a utopian novel “Looking backward,” which became the most influential books in the history of American Utopian. The book provides a vision of the future that indirectly has assisted to direct the evolution of the American community. The book led to the creation of utopian societies and had great influence on political thought in the 20th century in the United States and the rest of the world. However, the author's illustration of a society where a person is subordinate to the state and industry army marches in lock step for the common good raises questions about human rights and fear of the powerful authority. The book has contributed greatly on how people view themselves and how they see the future. Therefore, the paper focuses on the Edward Bellamy imagined 21st century would be far more economical, social, and cultural advanced from the late nineteenth century.
Looking backward is a sentimental and romantic book set in the gilded period. The main character is Julian West who wakes up in the Boston in 2000 after taking a unique sleeping potion. Through several tribulations and trials, West is introduced to the New Boston, which gradually changed beyond 19th imagination. The new community referred to as the Millennium City of God is used as the vehicle by the author to explain how his utopia happened and its features, which is depicted as a Christian socialist. The nation’s industrial army, which works in unity, has managed to bring American’s resources to such effective production in those social problems such as poverty, corruption, crime and lack of emotional achievement has been obliterated. The author depicts the utopian Boston as a caring and homogeneous society where dignity, innocence and dignity are evident depending on the individual’s agreement with the goals of the state.
Bellamy anticipates the need for environmental planning in the society. This is so because a powerful environmental ethic is reflected throughout his book. For instance, his Utopia would not be achieved without enhancing the living condition of the masses. Therefore, in order to achieve effective environmental planning, the slums had to be eradicated, diseases controlled and the industrial smog eliminated. For example, when the central character is asked about critical view when he observed the new Boston in 2000, he ascertained that it was the inclusive absence of chimneys and smoke. Similarly, Julian West remembers the squalor, the malodors of the efficient part of the city and the pale skins of the mill workers. In order to overcome these conditions, Dr. Leete managed to use crude combustibles, which had been phased out at the beginning of the 20th century.
On the future of the economy, Bellamy saw little value in retail trade as it was done in the late 1800s. This is so because he saw the confusion, the mass of people who were buying the daily necessities and the practice of buying and selling as a waste. Ten thousand of stores reflected by the city, which distributed the required goods. He also argues that it was a waste of time, effort and resources, which happened via the buying and selling process. This system resulted in high costs because it was a process of beggaring the nation. The author uses the Boston’s major shopping district, Washington Street and the main banking district to demonstrate that the issue of commerce was a waste of time and effort.
In additional, Bellamy compares the Washington street activity with Bedlam and the system of exchange on State Street to the throbbing of an abscess. To the Bellamy, there is no happiness in the market, joy in the crowd, and no sense of fulfillment in the deal in these streets because it is just wasted activity. However, Bellamy suggests a government supply, stores that sell virtually all items that would possibly be required. The construction of commodity and the minimization of effort in the process of buying and selling is highly accepted. However, his vision also demonstrates the workers coming from his routinized labor, shopping and eating. In the 20th century, the Washington Street continued to be one of the significant shopping districts in Boston, and the practice of banking has become subdued and subtle significantly.
Although some of social, political and economic factors that Bellamy hoped to have been achieved, be sorely disappointed at what he would find when he suddenly wakes up in 2014. This is so because what he hoped is has been accomplished and others are jet to be achieved. American in the 19th century was a violent place, with constant labor strikes, anti-Chinese riots out West and an increasing number of the lynching of blacks in the South. For the middle-class Americans, the main threat to the status quo was economic issues because there was class conflict arising from the working class demands. Although the working-class people had several valid grievances with the capitalist system, the brutal cases such as the six-day week did not make their plight any more pitiable to many in the middle class. This is so because these were a growing awareness of poverty. Therefore, it should not be astonishing that the Bellamy’s book made such an impact given that America was the home of many 19th century utopian communities that tried to enact Christian values and secular ethics.
However, in the 20th century, there is universal and equal prosperity for American citizens just like the West who experienced the changed social order of 2000. Currently, each American annually receives a credit card and everyone are entitled to receive the equal amount of credit against what he or she can receive from purchases of goods. Therefore, Bellamy’s credit card functioned just as the bank debit card can in 2014. Currently, there is no women discrimination in the workforce just as if Bellamy foresaw the entry of women completely into the workforce of the 20th century. Similarly, the women empowered, have brought equal distribution of wages just like Bellamy, who advocated for equal wages. However, Bellamy can be extremely disappointed when he wakes at 2014 because there is significant income inequality brought about by unequal pay for the same work. However, his utopia offered equal pay for equal work, which appreciates the fruits of everyone,’s paid labor.
Although no capitalism has brought about that state of equality and common ownership, it has led to the ultimate, logical development of corporate America. This is reflected by a rising growth pattern like that of the continuing takeovers, mergers and aggregations of 2014. The surprising thing to Bellamy when he wakes in 2014 there would be the inexplicit increase in economic inequality. This has accompanied the gains in productivity that Bellamy believed would result from steadily increasing industrial concentration. Bellamy could also be disappointed not by the technological progress he would see today, but by the moral progress that it has produced. According to Bellamy, cooperation was the human ideal and the unbridled economic competition of the 19th century was its antithesis.
Meanwhile, Bellamy would view today’s socioeconomic conditions as utopia delayed, but not yet denied. This is so because the technology available in Bellamy’s hope is the credit card society and approaching virtual economy in which women and men have made progress toward equality of political power and economic opportunity. The increase in ownership of corporate equities of worker retirement funds would be one of emerging economic trend that will be encouraging to Bellamy. For instance, the growing public and private funds, equities owned via the social security system are some of form of Bellamy’s Utopia, which have emerged in 2014.
Similarly, the feature of the status quo that was reflected in the Bellamy’s utopia was his reverence for the military in the form of the industrial army. Throughout the book, Bellamy refers the regimentation that men and women of prime working age subjected themselves to when they volunteered for national service. This regimentation is today practiced in the military where they are required to give the best service and those who differentiate themselves receive promotions. However, despite the vast development of women's lives in the 2014, they are still regarded as second-class citizens because women mainly discuss peripheral issues such as shopping.
In a recap, Bellamy book focuses mainly on American in the future where he hoped for a significant change in the 20th century. His society’s good points are explained as well as the areas where he retains some of his 19th century limitations such as women’s role in the future. The Bellamy’s society has been achieved because his concepts have been influential over time and are still relevant to the Modern American. Although Bellamy can be sorely disappointed at what he would find should he suddenly wake up in 2014, American has managed to realize significantly some of his hopes.
Bibliography
Bellamy, Edward. "Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward, table of contents." American Studies @ The University of Virginia. Last modified 2000 http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/bellamy/toc.html.
Robert, Weinberg. "Looking Backward, Going Forward." Nation. 272, no. 5 (2001): 32-34.
