Gendered Dystopia: Gender Politics in Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We

This paper undertakes to examine the gender politics of Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We (1924), the probable prototype of the modern dystopia, by analyzing how the author adheres to or subverts the characteristics of dystopia specifically in terms of gender representation. The novel illuminates anxieties abou...

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Main Author: Demir Alihodžić
Format: Article
Language:Bosnian
Published: University of Tuzla, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences 2017-07-01
Series:Društvene i Humanističke Studije
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.dhs.ff.untz.ba/index.php/home/article/view/28
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spelling doaj-630589951feb4252ab5886e26defbef92020-11-25T01:58:45ZbosUniversity of Tuzla, Faculty of Humanities and Social SciencesDruštvene i Humanističke Studije 2490-36042490-36472017-07-0121 (2)11113930Gendered Dystopia: Gender Politics in Yevgeny Zamyatin’s WeDemir Alihodžić0University of Tuzla Faculty of Humanities and Social SciencesThis paper undertakes to examine the gender politics of Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We (1924), the probable prototype of the modern dystopia, by analyzing how the author adheres to or subverts the characteristics of dystopia specifically in terms of gender representation. The novel illuminates anxieties about gender issues of the author’s time. It can be argued that Zamyatin’s concern is with equality (sexual and otherwise) at the expense of individuality and creativity within the socialist state. It is my contention that in We, Zamyatin suggests that enforced equality will not solve the gender and sexual inequalities of the day. Furthermore, Zamyatin uses socio-political satire to comment subversively on the complexities of the patriarchal social and political structures present in the society in which he wrote. This paper observes that for Zamyatin, gender and genre are flexible, and that stylistic elements can be the focus in a genre that some would characterize as polemical, topical, and political. Dystopias are thought to be imbedded in a particular political milieu, but this paper shows that there are certain qualities and themes that are common to the genre, no matter when or where the dystopia is written or set.http://www.dhs.ff.untz.ba/index.php/home/article/view/28zamyatigenderdystopia
collection DOAJ
language Bosnian
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Demir Alihodžić
spellingShingle Demir Alihodžić
Gendered Dystopia: Gender Politics in Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We
Društvene i Humanističke Studije
zamyati
gender
dystopia
author_facet Demir Alihodžić
author_sort Demir Alihodžić
title Gendered Dystopia: Gender Politics in Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We
title_short Gendered Dystopia: Gender Politics in Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We
title_full Gendered Dystopia: Gender Politics in Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We
title_fullStr Gendered Dystopia: Gender Politics in Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We
title_full_unstemmed Gendered Dystopia: Gender Politics in Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We
title_sort gendered dystopia: gender politics in yevgeny zamyatin’s we
publisher University of Tuzla, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
series Društvene i Humanističke Studije
issn 2490-3604
2490-3647
publishDate 2017-07-01
description This paper undertakes to examine the gender politics of Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We (1924), the probable prototype of the modern dystopia, by analyzing how the author adheres to or subverts the characteristics of dystopia specifically in terms of gender representation. The novel illuminates anxieties about gender issues of the author’s time. It can be argued that Zamyatin’s concern is with equality (sexual and otherwise) at the expense of individuality and creativity within the socialist state. It is my contention that in We, Zamyatin suggests that enforced equality will not solve the gender and sexual inequalities of the day. Furthermore, Zamyatin uses socio-political satire to comment subversively on the complexities of the patriarchal social and political structures present in the society in which he wrote. This paper observes that for Zamyatin, gender and genre are flexible, and that stylistic elements can be the focus in a genre that some would characterize as polemical, topical, and political. Dystopias are thought to be imbedded in a particular political milieu, but this paper shows that there are certain qualities and themes that are common to the genre, no matter when or where the dystopia is written or set.
topic zamyati
gender
dystopia
url http://www.dhs.ff.untz.ba/index.php/home/article/view/28
work_keys_str_mv AT demiralihodzic gendereddystopiagenderpoliticsinyevgenyzamyatinswe
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