Analysis Of William Morris's 'News From Nowhere'

William Morris utopian romance ‘News from Nowhere’ can be considered an appropriate summation of William Morris’s views on capitalism and socialism. He was a Victorian Era figure who died in 1896. Although he died over a hundred years ago the universal theme of improving a democratic system still applies strongly to today. He was heavily influenced by medieval literature. He was a poet, artist, philosopher, typographer and political theorist (William-morris.co.uk, 2016) He united his literary and design interests when he established Kelmscott Press with the goal of producing well-designed books. Most of his income came from a design firm that produced stained glass, architectural ornaments, furniture, and textiles as the visions within his
There is a fine line between the two. Morris’ idea of the whole people is our parliament is a valid argument. Although he describes the perfect world, is it truly achievable? Guest gradually learns that money has been abolished, that craftwork has pushed aside 'wage slavery', that contracts of marriage have been replaced by flexible bonds of affection, and that Parliamentary democracy has given way to informal patterns of co-operation . Morris's utopia resists the compensation of a quick solution (The British Library, 2016). He states that there is no jails in this utopia, as they are not needed. In reality, not every person in a community can be perfect, no matter how much they love their job and lifestyle. His idea of no currency is not a realistic idea in the modern day. Although I feel Morris was attempting to achieve to form of direct democracy, it borderline describes an anarchy. (Holzman, 1984) says that ‘anarchism, was the goal that Morris heard urged on him frequently in those twilight days of the Socialist League.’ However he also states that ‘the extensive descriptions of the communal organization of the society of the future might also be pointed out as part of Morris critique of Anarchism.’ An anarchy is where the people do whatever they want. They have no form of government and the person governs itself. Direct democracy is where the community as a whole govern themselves. In this romance direct democracy is more prevailing than anarchy. Although the people do what they want the community as a whole follow the same rules. There is no money, so collectively as a community that must have been decided. They abandoned the traditional ways of marriage, but the community as a whole accepts this and it is not just one person deciding what they can do. If it was an anarchy, it could bring chaos.