Akadémia Kiadó

Anatomies of the Absence of Freedom: Human Freedom in 20th-Century English Dystopias

Dystopia has become a very popular genre in 20th-century English fiction. Taking George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four as a starting point (as it influences the reception of other dystopias, including the ones written earlier), the analysis shows that the absence of freedom is a substantial feature of this genre. Hence dystopias provide a negative definition of freedom: they complement the philosophical notion by showing the dangers that arise when one or more ingredients of human freedom are denied to the individual.