Changing Worlds essays

Changing Worlds essays Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy is a novel in which the protagonist, Julian West, is able to experience a whole new century through a deep, mesmerizing sleep. He is hypnotized one day in the middle 1800s before he goes to sleep. When Julian awakes, he finds himself back in Boston, but in the year 2000 and in a completely different society. As he experiences the new ways of life such as a new government controlled industry, free higher education for all, and an equal distribution of the common wealth, he begins to like this new utopian society. Bellamy predicts many different ways of life in his then futuristic and radical novel, creating two completely contrasting environments. The twentieth century brought with it many economic changes, including the elimination of private ownership of businesses. The new government now controls all of industrial America and the marketplace. Competition between businesses has been wiped out completely, and successful business now runs off cooperation. This system works well with supply and demand. Since there are no competing businesses, the government can easily calculate what will be needed and what wont be. This means little is wasted. Even products which arent in high demand can be manufactured as long as there is someone willing to pay the money for the product. The government is the sole distributor and manufacturer of all goods and services. They bring in all the revenue and then they distribute the wealth. The second most prevalent difference under the new economy is that there is an even distribution of the wealth. This system bridges the gap between the rich and poor, thus eliminating any class system. Everyone works for the government, and everyone receives a line of credit with the government. There is enough credit to go around for all, so the standard of living has been raised significantly. Because there is no rich or poor, no one is looked d ...