Monday, March 3, 2014
Equality?
While reading the first half of the novel, I noticed Bulwer-Lytton had a tendency to emphasize that everyone in the Vril-ya society was treated equally regardless of how much money they made or what type of profession they chose to pursuit. His depiction of a classless society was especially troublesome for me probably because classes are an inescapable part of arguably every society on our planet. Inherent in their nature is an indifference to the success and motivation of others, which is a stark contrast to the society we live in. From the very beginning we are taught the importance of getting ahead, and we learn that the even the smallest victories can provide an immense amount of self gratification, whether it be excelling in a sport, proving to be exceptionally capable academically or just about anything else. We yearn to be faster, better and stronger. Members of the Vril-ya society somehow motivate themselves to be the best that they can be and are able to genuinely feel happy for others who do so, but they don’t boast or demonstrate excessive pride in what they accomplish. While explaining to Aph-Lin the wondrous success of individuals in our surface society, the narrator is told that members of the Vril-ya society aren’t praised for their success so as to ensure that all members of the community feel equal and no individual is left feeling inferior. This aspect of the text probably speaks most to its dystopian nature because after close examination the reader can tell that there are inherent defects in this system. Humans and animals alike have a tendency to adopt a well defined hierarchy to ensure survival of their species, but does this mean Bulwer-Lytton is leaving the reader with the idea that a classless society is impossible? It seems that he is arguing against the well functioning semi-communist society he is depicting, but even if that is the case we won’t understand exactly why until the end of the text.
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I think the second half of this novel disproves the theory of equality even more, in both races. The Vril-ya, although they portray they have no class system, still have a monetary system that is frequently mentioned and thus sets them apart. Vril-ya that run out of money must be put in a home together and be taken care of by the community. They even have a chief, which in and of itself suggests some sort of structured class system. The narrator himself even begins down a path filled with greed, daydreaming of becoming chief and taking over the Vril-ya. These feelings were suppressed when he first starting living amongst the Vril-ya but their appearance suggests that the influence of the Vril-ya and their false equality has affected his reasoning.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is evident to the reader that a utopia is masking the defects that truly exist in the society and within the race. Bulwer’s Vril-ya society is portrayed as one in which all members are content with their lot in life and want for nothing. According to Aph-Lin, it is not in their race’s nature to feel the “stimulus of want” and that is the reason that fame in the arts is not pursued in their society. However, Bulwer contradicts this characteristic of the race when he describes the race’s mating customs and the emotions that are associated with them. Zee is hopelessly in love with the narrator, and when trying to woo him, she tries to excite his jealousy. She is also so upset by his interactions with another Gy that she whisks him off and forces him to sleep. Zee was acting out of the “stimulus of want” when she professed her love for the narrator and when her jealousy caused her to intervene in his conversation with another Gy. In addition to showing that a classless society is impossible, I believe that Bulwer was also trying to show that a society devoid of motivation by want is also impossible.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a society with no desires cannot make advancements - contentment is a feeling that nothing is missing and thus there is nothing to strive for. Everyone in the Vril-ya community has a similar sense of contentment and safety. I think this is what makes the Vril-ya so successful - everyone trusts each other to make rational decisions. For example, when populations need to separate, there are always enough people who volunteer to move. I believe that in this case, Bulwer-Lytton is siding with Adam Smith in the belief that humans are inherently evil and self-serving, which is why the Vril-ya are far more advanced than we are. They have achieved a state in which they let go of selfish desires to work for a common goal.
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