The Persistence of the Romantic Ethos and Environmental Imagination in 20th Century Negative Utopias

Niculae Liviu GHERAN
The Persistence of the Romantic Ethos and Environmental Imagination in 20th Century Negative Utopias
Institution: 
Babeş-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca
Author's email: 
gheran.niculae@yahoo.co.uk
Abstract: 

The present article aims at underlining the manner in which the Romantic ethos has survived and influenced literary writings belonging to the 20th century. While researchers such as Michael Lowy and Robert Sayre have discussed the theoretical framework in which this happened, my aim is to continue their research and focus on another example that seems to exemplify their thesis, that is, 20th century negative utopias. It seems that through their specific construction of symbolic spatiality within their works, authors as varied as George Orwell, Yevgeny Zamyatin, Aldous Huxley, Robert Hugh Benson and more have been influenced by the Romantic construction of symbolic space.

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