Scribner Seminar Program
Course Description

The Noses of Soho and the Ears of Covent Garden: Utopia and Dystopia in London

Instructor(s): Beau Breslin, Political Science

To be sure, George Orwell is having a moment. The world stands on the precipice of totalitarianism. Tyranny, suppression, surveillance, and fear mark the contemporary moment. Winston Smith is us.

At the intersection of political theory, technology, science, religion, and literature stands the giants of British utopian and dystopian writing. These authors imagined political worlds that were both informed by, and stood in direct contrast to, the culture, geography, and politics of their English homeland. Defined by its conceptualization of the ideal—a vision of political and social paradise—modern utopian fiction began in the sixteenth century. Eventually, utopian literature spawned the dystopia, the opposite of the utopia, the nightmare world. The result has been an enduring literary dialogue—spanning over four centuries—about the meaning of liberty, equality, sovereignty, individualism, tyranny, justice, compassion, and community. The main salon for this dialogue? London!

Our course will examine the major utopian and dystopian works of More, Bacon, Swift, Dixie, Huxley, Orwell, Alderman, and others from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. These writers place a mirror in front of us through the medium of storytelling. We will do the same. We will conclude the course by making our own attempt at the utopian/dystopian story. Students will be required to write their own short story as their final project.