• Ideal Cities-Marred Individuals: J. M. Coetzee's The Childhood of Jesus and José Saramago's A Caverna

    Author(s):
    Hania Nashef (see profile)
    Date:
    2017
    Group(s):
    2016 MLA Convention, Critical Studies in World Literature, Iberian Studies, LLC Luso-Brazilian, TM Literary Criticism
    Subject(s):
    Comparative literature, English literature, European literature, Portuguese literature
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    20th Century Literature, 21st Century Literature, dystopia, j.m. coetzee, jose saramago, Literary criticism
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6KX2G
    Abstract:
    In the final pages of J. M. Coetzee's The Childhood of Jesus and José Saramago's A Caverna, the main protagonists flee to an unknown destination from their respective "utopias." Both allegorical novels expose the ills of two guarded and structured communities. A Caverna, a parable of Plato's cave, depicts the story of the lives of 64-year-old Algor, a third-generation earthenware potter, and his family. When Algor is no longer able to sell his earthenware products, the family is forced to reside at the Center. Coetzee's novel begins with the arrival of Simón and the child David at the Spanish-speaking city of Novilla. Simón assumes guardianship of the boy. Although the concept of "utopia" is presented differently in these two novels, the place operates in the same way; both places function through a faceless controlling bureaucratic authority, claiming that the welfare of the inhabitants is its driving force. A rebirth of the human is required for surviving in the new surroundings. In this article, I would like to compare how both authorities function under the pretext of creating the ideal world, which ultimately results in safeguarding their own interests, and consequently perpetuating the sterile and anesthetized existence of their citizens.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Publisher:
    Penn State University Press
    Pub. Date:
    June 2017
    Journal:
    Comparative Literature Studies
    Volume:
    54
    Issue:
    2
    Page Range:
    358 - 380
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    7 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved
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