Encyclopedia of Utopian Literature - Programs and Courses ...

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF UTOPIANLITERATURE

BIBLIOGRAPHICCITATIONSnodgrass, Mary Ellen. Encyclopedia of UtopianLiterature. Santa Barbara, CA.: ABC‐CLIO. 1995.It is available in the reference section of theBothell Regional Library, KCLS system.The Aeneid, written by Virgil in Roman times,may be the first real example of Utopianliterature in Western literature and thought .It concerns the travels of Aeneas and in someways resembles earlier Greek epics by Homersuch as The Iliad and The Odyssey. Kumar(1987), in Utopia and Anti‐Utopia in ModernTimes also remarks in his first chapter thatVirgil’s Fourth Eclogue, evoking “the return ofthe ‘reign of Saturn’, an age of peace andprosperity…” (Kumar, 1987,p. 3), may be anearly creation of a utopia. (Pictures:Snodgrass (1995), p. 8)

ARRANGEMENTIt is arranged in alphabetical order containing “…numerous cross‐references to significant studies,particularly conditioning, women in utopia,synergy, totalitarianism, sexual reproduction,economics, syncretism, prophecy disillusion, andtechnology.” (Snodgrass, 1995, p. xi.) Briefbibliographies at the end of each section alsopoint to primary and secondary sources.Camelot is perhaps also one of the earliest examples of Utopiafound in literature. The idea of Camelot being an ideal societywhere all knights were equal resonates with the idea of aUtopia as it has been represented in modern times. (Picture:Snodgrass (1995), p. 30., originally reproduced from MS Royal14, E.III f. 89, Department of Manuscripts, British Library.)

INDEXINGThere is a table of contents , but it does not listspecific ‘subjects’ in the reference item and it hasan index in the back.Sir Thomas More: More was a diplomat, theologian, and socialist who wroteUtopia (1516). He lived 1477 – 1535. His “… Latin manuscript Utopia, animaginative social and moral idyll that detailed the visit of Raphael Hythloday, afictional mariner, to an imaginary island he called Nusquania or ‘nowhere.’,”(Ibid. p. 362) that coined the term “utopia” and gave birth to utopian literature.Commenting on the book Snodgrass (1995) gives a brief summary stating that“As a character, More functions as a devil’s advocate, arguing for privateproperty against Hythloday’s contention that pure communism assures a fairerdistribution of goods. More blames a “conspiracy of the rich”, for exploiting thepoor while sating their hedonistic urges. “(Ibid., p. 362) More went on to writemany other books including the unfinished History of King Richard III and theDialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation. In Kumar (1987), he points to the factthat More may have been influenced by accounts of travels and discoveries madein the New world, such as those by Amerigo Vespucci. (Kumar, 1987, p. 23).More, later famously opposed Henry VII’s divorce of Catherine of Aragorn andwas imprisoned in the Tower of London due to the stance he took on this issueand later executed. Later he was made a saint by the Vatican. (Picture from Ibid.p. 363, originally reproduced from Painting by Hans Holbein the Younger. TheFrick collection 12.1.77, New York.)

SCOPEThis reference is wide‐ranging and covers all sorts ofinformation on utopias in literature including “… authors,characters, setting , themes, literary styles, and belief systems.”(p. xi) Some example authors are Jack London, George Orwell,Aldous Huxley, Margaret Atwood, Karl Capek. Some examplesof texts mentioned are William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”,Sir Thomas More’s Utopia, Henry David Thoreau’s Walden,Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984 and many others. Somesubjects concerning utopia are also present such as women inutopia for example.William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It which takes place in the “forest of Arden” may beanother example of an early utopia. Much of the debate over whether or not Arden merelyreferred to the French Ardennes or whether or not it referred to an imaginary place issummarized at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_You_Like_It#Synopsis, where it states: Otheeditions keep Shakespeare's 'Arden' spelling, since it can be argued that the pastoral modedepicts a fantastical world in which geographical details are irrelevant. The Arden edition ofShakespeare makes the suggestion that the name 'Arden' comes from a combination of theclassical region of Arcadia and the biblical garden of Eden, as there is a strong interplay ofclassical and Christian belief systems and philosophies within the play.” Snodgrass (1995)seems to hold to the view that Arden is an example of a utopia. (Pictures from Snodgrass(1995), pgs 28, 30, originally reproduced From Polybion by Michael Drayton, 1613. Rare bookcollection, Library of Congress, Photograph by Florence Vandamm. Performing Arts CollectionNew York Public Library.)

CURRENCYIt is only current up to 1995. As dealt withsubsequently under Authority/Review andComplementary Sources this means the book isnot real current, and it would be nice to see morein certain areas of the reference. It does,however, contain valid information for 1995,when it was published.Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra: He was born in 1547 and died in 1646. Hewrote Don Quixote de La Mancha (1604, 1615) which was about the exploitsof Alonso Quixana, a retired gentleman who has an obsession with chivalricworks. I can see why Snodgrass (1995) included him in her reference work,due to the fact there are certain similarities inherent in Don Quixote de laMancha to some of the other works that Snodgrass (1995) seesrepresentative of early utopias. There is a single character who is trying tohearken back to something ‘ideal’ that has been lost, similar perhaps in someways to the wandering main characters of the Aenied and Utopia. (Picturefrom Ibid., p. 104, reproduced from Culver Pictures.)

INTENDED PURPOSEIt is meant primarily as a guide to the use of the utopia connectedwith literature. Mainly probably aimed at a student of literaturealthough also containing a wide variety of somewhat anecdotalinformation on authors, themes, and styles. It presupposes to be aguide to utopias, dystopias, characters in utopias, etc. Yet it isperhaps unclear who exactly the book is aimed at. As is pointed outby Kristine J. Anderson in her review of this book in vol. 7 Iss. 2 in thejournal Utopian Studies, a review that I will also refer to later inReview/Authority although I will not quote directly from due to itscopyrighted re, the fact that in Books in Print it is listed asappropriate for young adults or a 14 and up audience indicates thatperhaps the intended purpose is for use by a younger audience thatmight not be as interested in a wide, comprehensive, and up to datetext on Utopias, as something that presents the subject in asomewhat simplistic manner. Perhaps this is why in defining thesubject of the utopia, as Anderson points out in her review there is apreponderance of reliance on lists, lists which are of a mostlyarbitrary nature regarding those texts Snodgrass (1995) thinks of as‘utopias’ or ‘utopian’ in nature. The book also has much relevancefor those looking for examples of ‘dystopian’ literature, yet thismaterial is presented without being grouped in a separate section.

ADDITIONAL PURPOSESSERVEDThis reference item could serve many additionalpurposes beyond the general purpose which has beenexamined. It could easily serve as the basis for a reportor perhaps even lecture, on some of themes therein. Itcan also serve as just interesting reading for someoneacquainted with the literature who is looking for moreinformation.Capek Karl: His writing, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) (1921)which was astage play coined the use of the term ‘robot’. Interestingly, according to the Uof T at Austin as explained athttp://www.robotics.utexas.edu/rrg/learn_more/history/, the robots wereoriginally thought of as being created through chemical, not mechanical means.I don’t think Snodgrass (1995) mentions this fact nor the fact that it wasactually Karl’s brother Josef who originally coined the term (again seehttp://www.robotics.utexas.edu/rrg/learn_more/history/). Snodgrass’s (1995)inclusion of Capek Karl in her encyclopedia could be seen as indicative of theinclusion of dystopias or ‘utopias gone wrong’ in this text. (Picture: Snodgrass(1995), p. 99, reproduced from UPI/Bettmann.

FORMAT (S) It is in book form only. Its trim size is 27 cm. 817different copies are listed on Worldcat.Jack London: Well known for his writings about wolves and dogs, what is lessknown is that Jack London was also a writer who wrote several dystopias, The IronHeel (1907) and the novelette the Red One (1978) (published posthumously). Jackwas born in San Francisco in 1876 and grew up reading adventure authors such asRudyard Kipling. In adolescence he quit school and wandered Oakland’s slums insearch of his adolescent father. He later completed his education with theassistance of a library director of the Oakland Public Library who had him read theclassics. As a teenager he sailed the Pacific on a tramp steamer, applying what hesaw and experienced to a later novel, The Sea Wolf (1904) He then went on tostudy philosophy at the University of California at Berkeley, becoming extremelyacquainted with the Communist Manifesto (1848) , Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels,Friedrich Nietzche, Charles Darwin, and Herbert Spencer. He went on to writemany books including the popular series which began with The Call of the Wild(1903). Comparing The Iron Heel (1907) with Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward,Kumar (1987) points out that “A markedly similar future society, based oncapitalist oligarchy, was pictured for America in Jack London’s... There too asocialist rising is defeated ; and although the book looks ahead to an eventualsocialist future, its strength lies in London’s remarkable anticipation of thetechniques of totalitarian fascism…” (Kumar, p. 128). This is the kind of criticalcommentary that Snodgrass’ (1995) text could use more of and is sorely lackingfrom the entry in that text on Jack London. (Picture from Snodgrass (1995), p. 321,originally reproduced from UPI/Bettman.)

SPECIAL FEATURES It contains a Preface, Introduction, Appendix A:Primary sources, Appendix B; Titles Featured inText, Appendix C; titles Featured in the Text,Listed by Date, Bibliography, and Illus. credits.

AUTHORITY/REVIEWOPINIONSI found several reviews of this text, primary amongst them was Anderson, Kristine J.,“Encyclopedia of Utopian Literature (Book Review)” Utopian Studies , Vol. 7, Issue 2, 1996.which I will paraphrase from as the article itself is copyrighted by the Society for UtopianStudies . Anderson (1996) begins her review by looking at the fact that the Encyclopedia ofUtopian Literature is part of a series called “ABC‐CLIO Literary Companions” with the onlyother work she could find in the series being called The Encyclopedia of Traditional Epics byGuide M. Jackson which has subsequently been republished by Oxford paperbacks asTraditional Epics: A Literary Companion. Anderson then turns to remarking on the fact thatthe definition of a ‘utopia’ is somewhat lacking in Snodgrass’s (1995) work and that ratherthan a definition the subject of the ‘utopia’ is constructed by Snodgrass (1995), primarily inthe form of a list, thus favoring an approach which canonizes specific literature. (cont.)Animal Farm: This novel by George Orwell is a classic portrait of dystopia or an anti‐utopia orutopia gone wrong. Snodgrass (1995) does an excellent job of providing a summary andexploration of the themes of this lesser known and subsequently very controversial example ofOrwell’s works. The novel concerns a primarily socialist revolution which takes place on a farm.Certain principles, known as the Seven commandments of Animalism are set up. Soon afterthe revolution the pigs take over although in the original novel initially it is snowball who leadsthe animals, and there is a countermove by the humans to retake control of the farm, duringwhich Boxer, the horse, strikes and kills a young boy. During subsequent events, Napoleonunseats Snowball using nine savage dogs, and what was to be utopian becomes anything but.At this point, the pigs basically take over, mimicking the things the humans previously did.Snodgrass (1995) in her analysis of this text makes the interesting point that “Orwell impliesthat the children born after world War II will lack a clear and honest picture of the dangers oftotalitarianism and fascism , the destructive forces that propelled world leaders into global waragainst Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo.” (Ibid, p. 22). Subsequently, two versions of the story weremade as popular films, one in 1954, which was animated and subsequently banned for release,and a later adaptation made in 1999 released on TNT. Picture from Snodgrass (1995), p. 20,originally reproduced from Orwell Archive, London.)

AUTHORITY/REVIEWS(CONT.)“Vigorously specific, the text is packed with details of plot, biography,publishing history, social context, and critical response. Each essay ends with astring of cross‐references to related articles within the work. The illustrationsare excellent… this is a useful source for public libraries. A somewhat moregeneral but related work of good reference value is Alberto Manguel’sDictionary of Imaginary Places.” (D’Alessandro, 1980, p.62)Two additional works that Snodgrass has subsequently written are theEncyclopedia of Southern Literature (1997) and Signs of the Zodiac: A ReferenceGuide to Historical, Mythological, and cultural Associations (1997).1984: Rather than summarizing this novel, which Snodgrass (1995) does an excellent job of in herentry on this work, I’d like to suggest some other sources which provide interesting takes on theanti‐fascism and ‘socialism’ which stood behind Orwell’s famous work and are perhaps leading itto have increasing relevance today. In Kumar (1987) in “George Orwell and Nineteen Eighty‐Four” in Utopia & Anti‐Utopia in Modern Times it is argued effectively that the writing of 1984was not a move by Orwell away from socialism and the views of the British Labour Party butrather was meant as a critique of the “… perversions to which a centralized economy is liable andwhich have already been partly realized in Communism and Fascism…” (Orwell, 16 June 1949,Letter to Francis A Henson of the UAW, from Kumar (1987), p. 290) . Kumar (1987) attempts topoint to ways in which 1984 can be seen as ‘satire’ rather than ‘prophecy' with the purpose ofthe text being self‐evident in the words “don’t let it happen.” which were used by literary criticsin the late 1940s when the book came out. Kumar (1987), writing several years after 1984 intime, sees the satyrical aspects of the work to make it clear that the future of “doublethink” and“newsspeak” can be fought against because of the fact the work is not a prophetic work whichmakes many of the questions asked in 1984 as to whether society had become or was tending tobecome like Orwell’s novel, exactly the sort of ‘thought’ which Orwell wished to provoke.Another point of view, also from the 1980s ‐1990sis found in “Rethinking the Modernist Legacy inNineteen Eighty‐Four’ (cont.) (Picture from Snodgrass (1995), p. 385, originally reproduced fromFilm Stills Archive, Museum of Modern Art, New York.)

AUTHORITY/REVIEWS(CONT.)(1984 cont.)in The Revised Orwell, ed Jonathan Rose. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing, MI. 1992.Alex Zwerdling looks at why Orwell’s work has had an almost universalist appeal as opposed to Orwell’s lesswidely received previous works. Again, the issue of whether Orwell is trying to suggest something that couldhappen rather than will happen comes up which Zwerdling (1992) tries to deal with in terms of looking at why1984 has both popular appeal at the same time that it is of interest to highbrow readers as well. Zwerdling states:“The same strategic thinking went into Orwell’s decisions about the fictional technique and the language ofNineteen Eighty‐Four. A novel designed for a popular audience must have a strong plot, a sense of suspense, asingle continuous narrative line… On the other hand, intellectual readers have considerable contempt for a workthat does not allow them the leisure to think, that moves along too breathlessly and appeals to their childlikeeagerness to find out what happens next … Orwell’s solution to this problem is to write his novel in two differentfictional languages that are, in effect, interlaced in the text. There is the strong, narrative line… and there is thecool analytic line concerning the principles of the regime expounded in the two extracts from Goldstein’s bookand in the appendix on the Principles of Newspeak.” (Zwerdling, 1992, p. 17). A more current analysis of Orwell’scommitment to lifelong socialism can be found in “George Orwell: Socialism and Utopia” by Richard White inUtopian Studies19.1 (Wntr 2008): 73(23) Expanded Academic ASAP.Gale.King County Library System. 28 May2008 . Which attempts to provide examples of the many instances in Orwell’s life and writings inwhich he was influenced by wanted to better the conditions of the working poor and the benefits of socialism forthe masses in general . A recent writing on current ramifications 1984 may have for the present can be found in abook review of Steve Cohen’s book Deportation is Freedom! The Orwellian World of Immigration Controls byJustin Nordstrom in Utopian Studies 18.2 (Spring 2007) 270(4) Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. King CountyLibrary System 30 May 2008 which is a balancedreview which looks at what ways Cohen is applying ideas found in Orwell to what he perceives as the dystopiandilemma of increasing immigration restrictions.

PERSONAL IMPRESSIONMy personal impression is that while at first glance this seems to bea comprehensive reference on utopian literature, upon furtherperusal it is lacking in some aspects and there are areas where I wishit went further. In preparing this powerpoint presentation, in theareas that accompany and explain the pictures, in some cases I havetried to supplement the text Snodgrass (1995) supplies with more upto date references and information. I think, the fact I have had to dothis perhaps points to what in fact is needed is a more currentreference or the creation of a new edition of this work to reflectcurrent research being done in the area of utopian literary studies,including topics such as feminism and utopia, postmodernism andutopia, and studies of other anti‐utopianism in modern literatureincluding more recent works of science fiction with anti‐utopias likeThe Running Man (1985) by Stephen King for example, or examplesof cyberpunk dystopias which are nowhere present in the text ofSnodgrass (1995) as found for example, in the book Neuromancer(1984) by Canadian science fiction writer William Gibson. However,Snodgrass (1995) does have some good areas where some of theentries are concerned. There are good summaries of 1984 andFahrenheit 451 and there is useful information on many otherutopian writers and concepts as well.

Fahrenheit 451 which originally appeared as “The Fireman” in Galaxy Science Fictionis about guy Montag, a fireman in the future who burns books for the state ratherthan helping to save people’s homes. His helmet has the number 451 on it, which isthe temperature at which paper burns. Guy meets Clarisse McClellan , a neighborwho is 17 years old and asks if Guy is happy. The same evening, when Guy returnshome to his estranged wife, he discovers that she has taken 30 or 40 pills and has tohave her blood purified. This all challenges his perceptions of himself and leads himto turn to books in response to the changes he sees in his society and in his own life.While performing his job , in a disquieting scene, Mrs. Blake sets herself afire with akitchen‐match. Amongst her books, the book‐burners have come to destroy. Guyfinds out the Clarisse was hit by a car and that her family moved away. Guy becomessick and receives a visit from his boss Beatty. Guy quits his job as a book‐burner andreveals to his wife his cache of books, but does not receive the response heexpected. Montag then goes to visit a retired English professor named Faber. Theyconcoct a scheme to get at the book‐burners by using their own tactics against them.Faber gives Guy an electronic hearing device. Guy avoids going back to his job, untilnear the end of the novel he has another confrontation with Beatty, which results(cont.)PERSONAL IMPRESSIONRay Bradbury and Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury, a science fiction writer who is asSnodgrass (1995) points out a “… writer, fantasist, visionary, and moralist…” (p. 73) isa publishing author of “… short stories, screen and stage plays, poems, novels,criticism, social commentary, children’s literature, and television adaptations.”(p.73). He was born Raymond Douglas Bradbury, but has also written under thepseudonyms of Leonard Spaulding, the name of his father, and Douglas Spauldingand his writings can be found in over 700 anthologies (as of when Snodgrass (1995)was published, now possibly more). He wrote many novels and stories including“there Will Come soft Rains” (1950), The Martian Chronicles (1950), The IllustratedMan (1951), Dandelion Wine (1957), Something Wicked this Way Comes (12962), R isfor Rocket (1962), I Sing the Body Electric (1969), and Fahrenheit 451 (1953).

PERSONAL IMPRESSIONRay Bradbury and Fahrenheit 451 (cont.) in Montag accompanying thefiremen to his own house where Guy burns his own house and his ownbooks. When Beatty arrests Guy, Guy uses his flamethrower on his owncaptain, and flees. He later watches an innocent man be captured in placeof him on television then merges with a group of individuals whomemorize books so as to preserve their ideas for the future.The story associated with the book’s creation which Snodgrass (1995)relates has long been that Bradbury produced the work working on a rentaltypewriter in the Los Angeles Public Library. However, a recent book whichhas come out called Match to Flame: The Fictional Paths to Fahrenheit 451Albright, Donn and Jon Eller ed. which collects earlier writings by Bradburywhich may have had some influence and share some of the themes ofFahrenheit 451. There was also a version filmed by Francois Truffaut in1966. (Pictures on previous slide: Snodgrass (1995), pgs. 74, 211,originally reproduced from UPI/Bettmann and Film Stills Archive, Museumof Modern Art, New York.)

EXAMPLES TYPIFYINGREFERENCE USESStudent: I’m doing a report on George Orwell.What can I look at about Orwell that will tell meabout his life, work, and further adaptationsbased on his work.Researcher: I need a reference that will give mean overview of the use of utopia in literature,from its earliest use to modern times.Interested Reader: I just read Fahrenheit 451. I’minterested in knowing more about Ray Bradbury.Where can I look?

COMPLEMENTARYSOURCESOne book that Snodgrass (1995) seems to be oft compared to, as it was in one review Imentioned, is Alberto Manguel &Gianni Guadalupi’s Dictionary of Imaginary Places. NewYork: Harcourt Brace. 2000.However, there are many other resources which can easily be accessed which can provideinformation on utopian literature and can be useful in supplementing one’s understandingof the subject beyond what is presented in Snodgrass’s text. One of these is KrishanKumar’s Utopia & Anti‐Utopia in Modern Times. Great Britain. Basil Blackwell Ltd. 1987,which is not a reference book, but is an excellent introduction and analysis of the topiccovering the presence of the ‘Utopia’ in literature over time. In this presentation, I haveused Kumar (1987) in order to supplement the information presented by Snodgrass (1995)in some respects.Another excellent source of information is the reviews and articles contained in UtopianStudies, presented and copyrighted by the Center For Utopian Studies. For example, in theSpring 1998 issue there are several articles on postmodern applications of ‘utopia’ as foundin the works of Fredric Jameson, postmodernism and ‘utopia’ being something thatSnodgrass (1995) never covers in her text.MOYLAN, TOM. "Jameson and Utopia. " Utopian Studies. (Spring 1998): 1(1). ExpandedAcademic ASAP.Gale.King County Library System. 28 May 2008.

COMPLEMENTARYSOURCESFITTING, PETER. "The Concept of Utopia in the Work of Fredric Jameson. " Utopian Studies. (Spring1998): 8(1). Expanded Academic ASAP.Gale.King County Library System. 28 May 2008.BUCHANAN, IAN. "Metacommentary on Utopia, or Jameson's dialectic of hope. " Utopian Studies. (Spring1998): 18(1). Expanded Academic ASAP.Gale.King County Library System. 28 May 2008.VON BOECKMANN, STACI L. "Marxism, Morality, and the Politics of Desire: Utopianism in Fredric Jameson'sThe Political Unconscious. " Utopian Studies. (Spring 1998): 31(1). Expanded Academic ASAP.Gale.KingCounty Library System. 28 May 2008.Finally, the following article also compares 1984 to the novel The Running Man by Stephen King which isnowhere mentioned or given an entry in Snodgrass (1995):TEXTER, DOUGLAS W. .""A funny thinghappened on the way to the dystopia": the culture industry's neutralization of Stephen King's The RunningMan.(Critical essay).."Utopian Studies. 18.1 (Wntr 2007): 43(30). Expanded Academic ASAP.Gale.KingCounty Library System. 28 May 2008 .

COMPLEMENTARYSOURCESWomen in Utopia: The section on Women in Utopia in Snodgrass (1995) looks at many of thewomen who have appeared in utopian literature. Snodgrass begins by stating that, “Utopianliterature… has made no formal gesture toward real women’s needs or the need for real womenas planners and equal partners in a perfect world. “(p. 561) She presents “goddesses(Persephone… expendable wives… daughters… mistresses… consorts to wise philosopher –kings…dreamy‐eyed seers… Cumaean Sibyl… handmaids… shepherdesses… camp followers andbarkeeps…. Or unnamed slaves” (Ibid.) as all examples of women found in utopias in the heroicliterature. She then looks at some examples of women drawn from religious literature. Then, shestates that “A separate class of idolized women provides a romantic focus in utopian lore of theRenaissance …stories of Queen Guinevere and Elaine tread the predetermined patriarchal path ofthe elevated “lady” … Women in Arthurian settings lack policy‐making power and expend theirtalents in subservient roles, e. g., as nurses aboard King Arthur’s barge, bargaining chips formarriage agreements, and producers of male heirs, an accomplishment denied to Arthur’s ill‐fatedqueen.” (p. 562) Snodgrass (1995) then looks at womens’ roles in Pilgrim’s Progress (1678) andThomas More’s Utopia (1516) Dona Dulcinea sdel Toboso in Don Quixote (1604, 1615), examplesof women drawn from such diverse the coming Race (1871), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’sCourt (1886), and the time Machine (1895). Snodgrass (1995) then looks at the fact that womenfeature prominently in many anti‐utopia stories such as Helena Glory Domin in R.U.R. O inZamyatin’s We, a forerunner of Orwell’s 1984 in which one finds Julia turning her charms onWinston, not to mention Mollie in Animal Farm (1945), Linda and Lenina Crowe in Brave NewWorld (1932) and of course, Clarisse, in Fahrenheit 451. Snodgrass (1995) does not limit heranalysis merely to female characters in utopian literature though, but also looks at one prominentfemale writer, Margaret Atwood and her book The Handmaid’s Tale 1985) which has within it inher words, “… the twentieth‐century’s most enduringly feminist survivalist heroine.” (p. 566).(Pictures from Snodgrass (1995), pgs 40, 567, originally reproduced from Reuters/Bettmann, LaBelle Iseult (Queen Guinevere) by William Morris (1858). Tate Gallery, London/Art Resource/NewYork.