Better worlds and Mark Twain's submarines: utopian literature as a stimulus for social engagement

In: Maskalan, Ana (2019) Better worlds and Mark Twain's submarines: utopian literature as a stimulus for social engagement. In: Narrative art, knowledge and ethics. Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Rijeka, pp. 109-122. ISBN 978-953-7975-92-0

Abstract

In ENGLISH: In this paper, I discuss features of literary utopias that make them socially engaging. Understanding social engagement as a form of transcending the existent and creating a better life, a better society and a better world, in the first part of the paper I argue that contemporary social rejection of utopias is not primarily a consequence of their naivety or inconclusiveness but their promise and incitement of social change. There are four attributes that, I believe, can explain engaging capacities of literary utopias – feasibility, criticality, democracy of authorship and seductiveness. In the second part, I will describe and contextualize each one of them. Seductiveness of literary utopias lies in their ability to immerse readers into their imaginary worlds, describing life as it could and should be. Utopian feasibility reminds utopian readers of their responsibility for creating a better (or worse) world and future. Utopian criticality represents an articulation of awareness and attitude towards the real world. Utopian democracy of authorship refers to the opening up a space for different voices, different experiences and different visions. I will conclude on the dangers of giving up utopia not just for the fate of utopian literature and utopian thinking in general but the fate of social change as well. --- IN CROATIAN: U ovom radu raspravljam o onim značajkama književnih utopija koje potiču društveni angažman. Razumijevajući društveni angažman kao oblik transcendencije postojećeg s intencijom stvaranja boljeg postojanja, u prvom dijelu rada suvremenu društvenu kritiku utopija određujem posljedicom ne njihove navodne naivnosti već njihova inherentnog kapaciteta za poticanjem društvenih promjena. Značajke književnih utopija o kojima je riječ su zavodljivost, ostvarivost, kritičnost i demokratičnost autorstva. U drugom dijelu rada opisujem i kontekstualiziram svaku od njih. Zavodljivost književnih utopija leži u njihovoj sposobnosti da urone čitatelje/ice u svoj imaginarni svijet, opisujući život onakvim kakav bi on mogao i trebao (ili ne bi trebao) biti. Utopijska ostvarivost predstavljajući čovjeka jedinim odgovornim za vlastitu sudbinu kreira djelatnu vezu između čitatelja/ice i imaginarnog svijeta. Utopijska kritičnost predstavlja artikulaciju svijesti i odnosa prema postojećem svijetu. Utopijska demokratičnost autorstva odnosi se na otvaranje prostora za različite glasove, različita iskustva i različite vizije kao značajne odrednice svakog društvenog angažmana.