Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward: 2000-1887

Section: Book Reports

Then, based on what people were good and wished to do, they were placed in their permanent jobs for which they worked until 45, the age of retirement. Another problem with employment was wages. In the 19th century, wages were on the average very low with the average worker having to spend nearly all their money on food and shelter without room for luxury. Now, everyone earned the same thing and it was his or her hours of work that varied from job to job. Even if everyone worked, problems would still occurred with production in the 19th century. Since producer has no clue as to how much of a certain product was needed by the population, there was almost always a surplus or lack of a certain product. In the new society, distribution was carefully calculated by an average consumption rate. Thus there is never a shortage and any surplus can be given to other nations. Another problem was the schism between the rich and the poor. There wasn't enough of a median for the two groups to interact except with through work-hire relationships. The real problem was money, something this world didn't have. This also eliminated the need for crime since everyone had the same amount and no one was jealous of anyone else's property. The last two problems were female and child labor. In the 19th century, both of these two groups still worked but were paid less and often were treated much worse. Women nowadays were part of the same system men were and were paid equally. In fact, Dr. Leete felt they should be paid more. "Can you think of any service constituting a stronger claim on the nation's gratitude than bearing and nursing the nation's children?" (Bellamy, Looking Backward, 188). Children of course had education to worry about until the age of 21 and thus couldn't work. As one can see, everything in the book is just putting on paper a way to improve society in every way. Through the control of all economy by the government, all of society's evils have been eradicated. As for the predictions it makes, this is a novel of utopian society. As far as inventions go, the only things accurate were electric lighting, shopping malls and radio. Everything else in this book is just wishful thinking on the part of Bellamy.

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