Date of Award

1-1-2014

Language

English

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Program

Humanistic Studies

Content Description

1 online resource (iii, 64 pages)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Kir Kuiken

Committee Members

Randall Craig, James Lilley

Keywords

19th century, A Modern Utopia, Anticipations, H.G. Wells, science fiction, The Shape of Things to Come, Social history in literature, Future, The, in literature

Subject Categories

Arts and Humanities | Political Science

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This thesis argues that H.G. Wells' attempts to craft a successful narrative of the predicted future, as viewed through three primary texts (Anticipations, A Modern Utopia and The Shape of Things to Come) are not only trials at the most effective textual platform for his social ideology but also explicit attempts to create a new hybrid literature. The author first embarks on a close reading of Anticipations to analyze Wells' social ideology and his early theory of the role of fiction. Next, the author examines the two later novels, A Modern Utopia and The Shape of Things to Come, reading their forms and content against Anticipations. Using all three texts, the author constructs a theory about Wells' final beliefs regarding the role of literature in education, society, and history.

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