Like other texts we have read this term, Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward offers some insight into the social milieu of his era – in this case, the late 19th century. Extraordinary change had taken place since the Civil War; this change can be perceived as progress for it certainly was that. However, along with the progress of the “Gilded Age” (as it was known) came consequences, which were rarely beneficial for all. Industrialization and economic growth had made the United States one of the wealthiest nations in the world; however, that wealth was hardly equally (or equitably) distributed. The urbanization which accompanied industrialization exacerbated already existing urban social problems (overcrowding, crime, violence, alcoholism, and etc.) which in turn were aggravated by exploding immigrant populations, who were welcomed by industry to some extent; but, often viewed as threatening and, consequently, abused and debased by natives. The kind of progress endured by Americans in the late 19th century often fostered inequality, dependence, and unnecessary waste.
Bellamy was among those who viewed these changes with suspicion; it was not progress, which should be orderly and equitable, but a kind of chaos, which was ultimately destabilizing and destructive. With proper planning, however, chaos could be conquered; order could be restored. The world of Dr. Leete promised such a restoration; a world in which common sense triumphed and the promised right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” was realized. In considering the world created for Julian West, I am reminded of the constant conflict between Natty Bumppo and Judge Temple; the former a rugged individual for whom order was restrictive to personal achievement, and the latter a communitarian for whom order was necessary for social harmony. As well, I am reminded of life in the United States today where the desire for easy solutions to complicated issues loses sight of the reality of a complex social and political order begotten to us by our founding generation.
Those who embraced Bellamy’s ideas – and there were many – found comfort in the concept of an already-existing well-ordered society, as imaged in Looking Backward; nevertheless, they did not fully consider the ideological cost to achieve that kind of society – or even if it was achievable or, for that matter, desirable.
Denis Brennan
