THE FAILURE OF CAPITALISM AND TOTALITARIANISM IN YEVGENY ZAMYATIN’S NOVEL WE

Abstract

The question of what the key to happiness is has been discussed throughout the centuries in hope of finding a decisive answer: however, the human intellect differs from one to another and as a result, many theories have been coined and implemented through the history of mankind. One of those theories is the theory of Capitalism which aims at providing an adequate amount of products or services to the masses in order to satisfy the human needs in order to result in happiness. However, Capitalism has been under criticism for only providing satisfaction to the financially capable citizens of society, and the poor cannot attain that feeling of happiness. Also, the human desire cannot be tamed and limited to certain demands because humans are eager and greedy by nature. Another theory is Totalitarianism which aims at complete submission to government in hope for providing all life necessities and complements to the citizens of society, and those citizens do certain tasks or jobs in order to be eligible to gain benefits at the expense of losing their humane needs and desires. Each person is dealt with and provided to as equal as the other. Hence, while Capitalism works on harnessing and embracing the human desires for the need of satisfaction as well as creating new jobs to fulfill newly surfacing desires, Totalitarianism, on the other hand, aims thoroughly at repressing those desires. In Yevgeny Zamyatin’s novel “We”, Totalitarianism is used to neutralize any human features in the citizens. However, both of the systems fail to achieve their ultimate goal: happiness. The aim of this study is to compare and contrast Capitalism and Totalitarianism in Yevgeny Zamyatin’s novel “We” in the light of achieving happiness, and how both of the systems fail in doing so.

Keywords

• Totalitarianism,Capitalism,desire,happiness

References

1. Brown, p. xi, citing Shane, gives 1921. Russell, p. 3, dates the first draft to 1919.
2. Foldvary, F. (2015). Capitalism Defined and Explained. Retrieved December 7, 2017, from https://www.progress.org/articles/capitalism-defined-and-explained
3. Happiness and Positive Psychology. (2011, September 8). Retrieved from https://www.aipc.net.au/articles/happiness-and-positive-psychology/
4. Macmillan, J. H. P. (1900-1950). The Literary Underground: Writers and the Totalitarian Experience (first), p.89-91.
5. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2019, August 7). Totalitarianism. Retrieved October 12, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/totalitarianism
6. von Mises, L. (1996). Human Action: A Treatise on Economics. Irvington-on-Hudson, N.Y.: Foundation for Economic Education, p. 117, 338.
7. Zamyatin, & Eugene. (1924). We. New York: E. P. DUTTON & Co. Inc.