Rethinking Utopia as Dystopia: Arthur C. Clarke’S Childhood’S End and Robert Graves’S Seven Days in New Crete

Abstract

A close look into utopian fiction, a narrative born out of the search for a better state of existence, shows that perfection and freedom are merely the appearances; these texts reveal a society that is controlled and disciplined by a totalitarian state and its oppressive institutions. As the opposite of ideal system, dystopian fiction focuses on a community or society that is undesirable or frightening as the individuals are in every way subjugated under the rule of this totalitarian system. They function within the purpose of criticising the status quo, which can be observed in both critical utopias that are the focus of this thesis. The narrative presents a dark and brutal system in which the individual is devoid of agency through the discipline and punishment enforced by the oppressive power, covered by an atmosphere of peace and harmony. Correspondingly, rethinking utopias shows that underneath the impeccable appearance, utopias are dystopias in progress and formation.