Fantasies and Foma: Utopian Concepts in the Literature of Marcuse and Vonnegut

Date
2012-05
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The following analysis examines two popular figureheads of the counterculture during the late 1960’s and early 70’s, Kurt Vonnegut and Herbert Marcuse. While the two varied in terms of their actual careers and the work they produced, they were largely adopted to fill similar roles in by the youth movements of the time. To narrow the discussion, the focus will be placed on their attitudes towards utopia, both as a concept and a reality. First, their ideas of practical utopias will be considered, either as a possibility or an impossibility, as well as what is obstructing the realization of such a society, either at the present or as a potential reality. Also analyzed will be their attitudes regarding the value of theoretical utopias and fantasies on an individual level or a larger cultural level. While not in total agreement, the two mirror each other in many respects, and even utilize some of the strategies suggested by the other in their own work.
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Keywords
Kurt Vonnegut, Herbert Marcuse, utopia
Citation