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8 - Feminism and utopianism

from Part II - Literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 September 2010

Gregory Claeys
Affiliation:
Royal Holloway, University of London
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Summary

Feminists have joined in celebrating and critiquing utopianism. On the one hand they have profited from the socio-political changes that visions of better societies have impelled; on the other, they have called into question utopias that depict static perfection - societies so ideal that they have nowhere to go, rely on rigid hierarchies and use coercion to maintain their perfect order. Thomas More's Utopia (1516) epitomizes the traditional version: it is fully mapped, boasting uniform towns that are geometrically organized with a centrally located seat of power from which the sovereign can conduct surveillance. Infrastructure supports the discipline of inhabitants; architecture and institutions encourage certain behaviours and discourage others. Ancient books, repeated rituals, pervasive symbols and signs ground authority in the traditional utopia. Clothing is issued and regulated. Dissenters are expelled or incarcerated. Such traditional utopias have also been called 'classical', 'blueprint', or 'end-state' utopias, and many critics have concurred that, even though inhabitants are provided for, such visions are distasteful. Despite readers' admiration for the wit and inventiveness of More's Utopia, few would want to live there. Women in particular have fared poorly in traditional blueprint utopias, where they have been forced to labour endlessly and bow to humourless patriarchs.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010

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  • Feminism and utopianism
  • Edited by Gregory Claeys, Royal Holloway, University of London
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Utopian Literature
  • Online publication: 28 September 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CCOL9780521886659.008
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  • Feminism and utopianism
  • Edited by Gregory Claeys, Royal Holloway, University of London
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Utopian Literature
  • Online publication: 28 September 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CCOL9780521886659.008
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Feminism and utopianism
  • Edited by Gregory Claeys, Royal Holloway, University of London
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Utopian Literature
  • Online publication: 28 September 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CCOL9780521886659.008
Available formats
×