One of the differences I noticed between 'Looking Backward' and other utopian and dystopian novels that we have read this semester was the simplicity of the plot line. While reading the first several chapters I was slightly surprised at the minimal amount of details included in Bellamy's story. But after a little bit of analiysis I realized that Bellamy was not using this novel to entertain or satisfy someone in the 19th century's need for science fiction- he was using it as a vehicle for his thoughts on economic and and social reform. Bellamy was warning the society that he lived in of what could come. Once we had our seminar with Dr. Butler I found that my ideas on the book were definitely true. Butler commented on 'Looking Backward' as Bellamy's tool for transporting his ideas to the citizens of the United States in 1888. Bellamy achieved his goal of reaching the general public because 'Looking Backward' was the third-largest bestseller of its time. Butler also told us that the book had a great influence on several intellectuals of the time and it is used many Marxist writings.
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