Ursula LeGuin

Analytical Essay # 103004

Literature > American
Political Science
Women Studies > Feminism

Ursula LeGuin

An analysis of the anarchist and femininist views in the literature of Ursula LeGuin.

1,311 words () | 9 sources | MLA | 2004 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how throughout her career, Ursula LeGuin was a participant in both the anarchist and feminist movements and represented the views of both in her writings. In particular, the paper looks at how Leguin's novels depict microcosms in which anarchy and feminism thrive and how her characters espouse views of the anarchists and feminists of today.

From the Paper:

"Anarchy, a movement LeGuin was strongly in favor of, was portrayed both directly and indirectly in a large part of her writing. In many cases, people describe anarchy as a complete lack of order or chaos but, in fact, this is not the way anarchy works at all. The definition of anarchy, which comes from the Greek word for "contrary to authority", is "the theory that formal government of any kind is unnecessary and wrong in principle." In this type of society, it is envisioned that agreements would be arrived at freely through the cooperation of all the individual groups involved, rather than by a forced submission to authoritarian laws as well as a fear of punishment for disobeying these laws. Those attempting to practice these beliefs feel that anarchy is more of a way of life than a political or social movement. "

Sample of Sources Used:

"Anarchism." Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1983.
Bartholdsson, Peter. Homepage. 27 April 2003. <www.geocities.com/Area51/2593/fulworks.htm>
Highleyman, Liz A. The Black Rose Collective. Boston. 10 July 1995.<www.black-rose.com/articles-liz/intro-@.html>Homepage. 11 February 2003.<http://hem.passagen.se/peson42/lgw/bio.html>
Kropotkin, Peter. Law and Authority. 1927. Kropotkin's Revolutionary Pamphlets. Ed. Roger N.
Baldwin. VanGuard Press. 25 September 1999. <http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/kropotkin/revpamphlets/toc.html>