Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

A Social Ecological Reading of H. G. Wells’s The Sleeper Awakes

Year 2022, Volume: 21 Issue: 3, 1367 - 1377, 31.07.2022
https://doi.org/10.21547/jss.1068630

Abstract

H. G. Wells, one of the pioneering utopian and dystopian authors of the late Victorian Age, delineates a political conjuncture into which London and the rest of the world may evolve two centuries later. The novel depicts a future in which the working class is socially oppressed in a new order where a world government that holds the reign of power globally and capitalism has gained an ultimate victory historically. Moreover, in this dystopic representation, the social life in the countryside has ended and the whole population is concentrated in the city. This study aims to demonstrate that, in The Sleeper Awakes, the mechanism of domination does not only have a formative power in the social sphere but also is extended towards nature. Furthermore, it is manifested that the domination over these two spheres is far from being independent of each other; on the contrary, they are mutually supportive processes. In this context, this paper uses social ecology, led by Murray Bookchin, as the theoretical framework in reading the novel. Departing from this theory, the reasons for the alienation of second nature from first nature, and the political and social outcomes of this alienation in the work have been demonstrated. Correspondingly, the implications of the centralization of both the population and political power with respect to human-nature relationships have been delved into. In addition to these, nature is shown to be objectified within a hierarchical web of relations in a system that cements the social hierarchies. Thus, this study puts forward that The Sleeper Awakes, a text that foregrounds the ideological and political discussions, may also address the ecological preoccupations.

References

  • Arendt, H. (1973). The origins of totalitarianism. San Diego: Harvest Book.
  • Barry, J. (2003). Murray Bookchin. In J. A. Palmer (Ed.), Fifty key thinkers on the environment. 241- 146. London: Routledge.
  • Best, S. (1998). Murray Bookchin’s theory of social ecology: An appraisal of “The Ecology of Freedom”. Organization & Environment, 11(3), 334-353.
  • Bookchin, M. (1980). Towards an ecological society. Montreal: Black Rose Books.
  • Bookchin, M. (1982). The ecology of freedom: The emergence and dissolution of hierarchy. Palo Alto: Cheshire Books.
  • Bookchin, M. (2006). Social ecology and communalism. Oakland: AK Press.
  • Booker, M. K. (1994). Dystopian literature: A theory and research guide. London: Greenwood.
  • Crutzen, P. J.& Stormer E.F.(2000). The “Anthropocene”. IGBP Newsletter, 41, 17-18.
  • Dubos, R. (1965). Man adapting. New Haven: Yale University Press.
  • Estok, S. C. (2018). The ecophobia hypothesis. New York: Routledge.
  • Hammond, J. R. (1979). An H. G. Wells companion. London: Macmillan.
  • Howard, E. (1902). Garden cities of tomorrow. London: Swan Sonnenschein.
  • Kreuziger, F. (1986). The religion of science fiction. Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press.
  • Kropotkin, P. (2021). Mutual aid: A factor in evolution. Toronto: PM Press.
  • Lucarelli, M. (1995). Lewis Mumford and the ecological region: The politics of planning. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Mateos, P. (2013). London’s population. In S. Bell & J. Paskins (Eds.), Imagining the future city London 2062. 7-21. London: Ubiquity Press.
  • Morris, B. (2017). Pioneers of ecological humanism: Mumford, Dubos and Bookchin. Montreal: Black Rose Books.
  • Mumford, L. (1927). Regionalism and irregionalism. The Sociological Review, 19(4), 277-288.
  • Mumford, L. (1970). The culture of cities. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovic.
  • Naess, A. (1973). The shallow and deep, long-range ecology movement. A summary. Inquiry, 16(1), 95-100.
  • Oppermann, S. (2007). Ecological imperialism in British colonial fiction. Hacettepe University Journal of Faculty of Letters, 24(1), 179-194.
  • Rigby, K. (2012). Utopianism, dystopianism and ecological thought. In Michael Hviid Jacobsen and Keith Tester, Farnham (Eds.), Utopia: Social theory and the future. 141- 160. Farnham: Ashgate.
  • Sloan, J. (2016). H. G. Wells, Fabianism and the ‘Shape of Things to Come”. In J. Rignal, H. Gustav& V. Cunningham. Ecology and the literature of British left: The red and the green. 137- 149. Oxon: Routledge.
  • Wells, H. G. (1902). Anticipations. London: Chapman& Hall.
  • Wells, H. G. (2005). The sleeper awakes. London: Penguin.
  • White, L. (1996). The historical roots of our ecological crisis. In Cheryll Glotfelty & Harold Fromm (Eds.), The ecocriticism reader: Landmarks in literary ecology. 3-14. Athens: University of Georgiana Press.

H. G. Wells’in The Sleeper Awakes Romanının Toplumsal Ekolojik Okuması

Year 2022, Volume: 21 Issue: 3, 1367 - 1377, 31.07.2022
https://doi.org/10.21547/jss.1068630

Abstract

Geç dönem Viktorya Çağı’nın önde gelen ütopya ve distopya yazarlarından H. G. Wells, The Sleeper Awakes adlı romanında iki yüz yıl sonrasında Londra’nın ve dünyanın evrilebileceği politik konjonktür hakkında bir portre çizer. Roman, dünya hükümetinin küresel olarak tüm kontrolü elinde bulundurduğu ve kapitalizim tarihsel olarak nihai bir zafer elde ettiği yeni bir dünya düzeninde işçi sınıfının toplumsal baskı altına alındığı bir gelecek betimler. Ayrıca, söz konusu distopik kurguda kırsal bölgelerdeki toplumsal yaşam bitmiş ve tüm nüfus kentte toplanmıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı ise The Sleeper Awakes romanında tahakküm mekanizmasının sadece toplumsal alanda değil aynı zamanda doğa üzerinde de yürütüldüğünü göstermektir. Buna ek olarak, her iki alanda kurulan tahakkümün birbirinden bağımsız olmadığı; aksine birbirlerini destekleyen süreçler olduğu ortaya koyulmuştur. Bu bağlamda çalışma Murray Bookchin’in öncülüğünü yaptığı toplumsal ekolojiyi kuramsal bir çerçeve olarak kullanmaktadır. Bu kuramdan hareket edilerek, romanda ikinci doğanın birinci doğadan yabancılaşmasının nedenleri üzerinde durulmuş ve bu yabancılaşmanın politik ve toplumsal neticeleri gösterilmiştir. Buna bağlı olarak hem nüfusun hem de politik gücün merkezileşmesinin doğa-insan ilişkileri bakımından yol açtığı olumsuz sonuçlar üzerinde durulmuştur. Diğer bir taraftan ise toplumsal hiyerarşileri destekleyen bir sistem içinde doğanın da hiyerarşik ilişkiler ağı içinde nesneleştirildiği ifade edilmiştir. Böylelikle bu çalışma ideolojik ve politik tartışmaların ön planda olduğu The Sleeper Awakes’in ekolojik kaygılara da hitap edebilecek bir metin olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

References

  • Arendt, H. (1973). The origins of totalitarianism. San Diego: Harvest Book.
  • Barry, J. (2003). Murray Bookchin. In J. A. Palmer (Ed.), Fifty key thinkers on the environment. 241- 146. London: Routledge.
  • Best, S. (1998). Murray Bookchin’s theory of social ecology: An appraisal of “The Ecology of Freedom”. Organization & Environment, 11(3), 334-353.
  • Bookchin, M. (1980). Towards an ecological society. Montreal: Black Rose Books.
  • Bookchin, M. (1982). The ecology of freedom: The emergence and dissolution of hierarchy. Palo Alto: Cheshire Books.
  • Bookchin, M. (2006). Social ecology and communalism. Oakland: AK Press.
  • Booker, M. K. (1994). Dystopian literature: A theory and research guide. London: Greenwood.
  • Crutzen, P. J.& Stormer E.F.(2000). The “Anthropocene”. IGBP Newsletter, 41, 17-18.
  • Dubos, R. (1965). Man adapting. New Haven: Yale University Press.
  • Estok, S. C. (2018). The ecophobia hypothesis. New York: Routledge.
  • Hammond, J. R. (1979). An H. G. Wells companion. London: Macmillan.
  • Howard, E. (1902). Garden cities of tomorrow. London: Swan Sonnenschein.
  • Kreuziger, F. (1986). The religion of science fiction. Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press.
  • Kropotkin, P. (2021). Mutual aid: A factor in evolution. Toronto: PM Press.
  • Lucarelli, M. (1995). Lewis Mumford and the ecological region: The politics of planning. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Mateos, P. (2013). London’s population. In S. Bell & J. Paskins (Eds.), Imagining the future city London 2062. 7-21. London: Ubiquity Press.
  • Morris, B. (2017). Pioneers of ecological humanism: Mumford, Dubos and Bookchin. Montreal: Black Rose Books.
  • Mumford, L. (1927). Regionalism and irregionalism. The Sociological Review, 19(4), 277-288.
  • Mumford, L. (1970). The culture of cities. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovic.
  • Naess, A. (1973). The shallow and deep, long-range ecology movement. A summary. Inquiry, 16(1), 95-100.
  • Oppermann, S. (2007). Ecological imperialism in British colonial fiction. Hacettepe University Journal of Faculty of Letters, 24(1), 179-194.
  • Rigby, K. (2012). Utopianism, dystopianism and ecological thought. In Michael Hviid Jacobsen and Keith Tester, Farnham (Eds.), Utopia: Social theory and the future. 141- 160. Farnham: Ashgate.
  • Sloan, J. (2016). H. G. Wells, Fabianism and the ‘Shape of Things to Come”. In J. Rignal, H. Gustav& V. Cunningham. Ecology and the literature of British left: The red and the green. 137- 149. Oxon: Routledge.
  • Wells, H. G. (1902). Anticipations. London: Chapman& Hall.
  • Wells, H. G. (2005). The sleeper awakes. London: Penguin.
  • White, L. (1996). The historical roots of our ecological crisis. In Cheryll Glotfelty & Harold Fromm (Eds.), The ecocriticism reader: Landmarks in literary ecology. 3-14. Athens: University of Georgiana Press.
There are 26 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Creative Arts and Writing
Journal Section English Language and Literature
Authors

İsmail Serdar Altaç 0000-0002-6778-8571

Publication Date July 31, 2022
Submission Date February 5, 2022
Acceptance Date June 19, 2022
Published in Issue Year 2022 Volume: 21 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Altaç, İ. S. (2022). A Social Ecological Reading of H. G. Wells’s The Sleeper Awakes. Gaziantep University Journal of Social Sciences, 21(3), 1367-1377. https://doi.org/10.21547/jss.1068630