Darkness at Noon
Stephen Batchelor
Professor Markovic
Western Heritage
26 March 2012
Darkness At Noon Many critics consider Arthur Koestler's novel, Darkness At Noon, to be one of the most insightful literary works regarding the qualitative attributes and characteristics of a totalitarian regime. Because of Koestler's personal experience as a Fascists prisoner under Franco, one can understand and appreciate the deep connecting parallels between Nicholas Rubashov, the protagonist, and Arthur Koestler, the author. At the time when this novel was published, few books existed that could accurately describe the inner workings of a totalitarian government, and the ideology that directed its course of action. It is easy to identify Koestler's personal testimony interwoven throughout the binding of this incredibly detailed fictitious account. There are numerous underling themes that constitute the overarching framework of this novel. The primary focus of this work deals explicitly with utilitarianism and situational ethics; and ultimately the consequences of Machiavellian ideology. Initially—when looking at this novel through a literary lens—one of the primary successes of this work, is the mastery of character development and symbolism. Nicholas Rubashov is a veteran of the Civil War, and a member of the old revolutionary Party—(Historically he is often compared with Leon Trotsky, they both wore pince-nez). He has dedicated his life the Party's vision; being that that all men are born equal and that the masses should govern themselves. Rubashov personally fought to ensure that this future vision became a present reality. The ultimate goal was to create a utopia, where every person acted altruistically for the good of all. There was a time when Rubashov believed that their cause had began to succeed. But then, as the ideology of party continued to evolve, so did its members. There are several reoccurring examples within the novel that allude to the natural transition from the
Professor Markovic
Western Heritage
26 March 2012
Darkness At Noon Many critics consider Arthur Koestler's novel, Darkness At Noon, to be one of the most insightful literary works regarding the qualitative attributes and characteristics of a totalitarian regime. Because of Koestler's personal experience as a Fascists prisoner under Franco, one can understand and appreciate the deep connecting parallels between Nicholas Rubashov, the protagonist, and Arthur Koestler, the author. At the time when this novel was published, few books existed that could accurately describe the inner workings of a totalitarian government, and the ideology that directed its course of action. It is easy to identify Koestler's personal testimony interwoven throughout the binding of this incredibly detailed fictitious account. There are numerous underling themes that constitute the overarching framework of this novel. The primary focus of this work deals explicitly with utilitarianism and situational ethics; and ultimately the consequences of Machiavellian ideology. Initially—when looking at this novel through a literary lens—one of the primary successes of this work, is the mastery of character development and symbolism. Nicholas Rubashov is a veteran of the Civil War, and a member of the old revolutionary Party—(Historically he is often compared with Leon Trotsky, they both wore pince-nez). He has dedicated his life the Party's vision; being that that all men are born equal and that the masses should govern themselves. Rubashov personally fought to ensure that this future vision became a present reality. The ultimate goal was to create a utopia, where every person acted altruistically for the good of all. There was a time when Rubashov believed that their cause had began to succeed. But then, as the ideology of party continued to evolve, so did its members. There are several reoccurring examples within the novel that allude to the natural transition from the