Between Fear and Necessity: The Motive of War in the Utopias of the 17th and 18th Centurie Cover Image

Między lękiem a koniecznością: motyw wojny w utopiach XVII i XVIII wieku
Between Fear and Necessity: The Motive of War in the Utopias of the 17th and 18th Centurie

Author(s): Stanisław Świtlik
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, 17th Century, 18th Century
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: utopia; war; 17th century; 18th century

Summary/Abstract: The war seems an inappropriate element in the commentary on utopian texts. Yet it is one of the recurring motifs in fictions about Elsewhere in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the article, through famous works as well as those little known, we try to sketch the place and role of the warrior motif in the representation of fictional worlds and in the narrative construction. In the 17th century, it is only a question of the allusions and discreet mentions of the experience of the war which express the fears of the Utopians against the European conquerors. On the other hand, in the 18th century we observe the appearance of warlike episodes which are part of the storyline, which expresses the hold of the novel on the traditional model of utopia. War then becomes a necessity to accomplish a radical change undergone by the utopian community.

  • Issue Year: 2/2022
  • Issue No: 17
  • Page Range: 195-204
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: Polish