An Analysis of Looking Backward

A Quick Look at the Novel and Utopian Literature

A Summary of the Novel

Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy, written in 1888, follows the strange experiences of Julian West, a Boston aristocrat living in the late 1880's. West suffers from chronic insomnia and has a doctor who hypnotizes him to sleep each night in a chamber below West's house. On May 30, 1887, Julian falls asleep, as usual, and awakes the next morning on September 10, 2000 in a strange building which he soon discovers is where his house once stood, as it burnt down the night of May 30, 1887. Dr. Leete, the one who discovers Julian, guides him through 21st century Utopian Boston, and Julian soon finds that he prefers 2000 Boston's more equal, relaxed way of life. 

An Exploration of Utopian Literature

In the late 1800's, the quantity of Utopian literature that was produced skyrocketed, citing the Haymarket Riot of 1886 and the presidential election of 1896 as possible correlations to this (Pfaelzer 3). Around this same time, Marxists defined Utopian writings as a sort of false promise for a future better than the present (Pfaelzer 4). Considering it was practically the turn of the century, anxiety about the new century was rising, as was the country's hope for the political and societal future. Because of this, literature developed into a plethora of Utopian works that dreamed of a plethora of reform, form industry to equality. 

So what, exactly, did a fin de siècle society hope for, as reflected in late-19th century literature?

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