Darkness At Noon By Arthur Koestler - 2221 Words

Darkness at Noon, written by British novelist Arthur Koestler in 1940, is a criticism of Stalinism and the methods used by the Communist Party in the USSR. The novel was set in 1938 during the Stalinist Great Purge and Moscow show trials. Even though the story depicts actual occurrences, it does not specifically name either Russia or the USSR, but the characters do have Russian names while other generic terms are used to depict individuals and associations. For instance, the Soviet government is alluded to as the Party and Nazi Germany is alluded to as the Dictatorship. Joseph Stalin, a terrorizing dictator, is represented by Number One. The novel is a strong and moving picture of a Communist revolutionary caught up in the terror†¦show more content†¦It is important in the understanding of â€Å"anti-vivisection morality† and â€Å"grammatical fiction† to also understand the Russia in which Rubashov was living. In the 1930s, Russia was a communist country fol lowing principles based on the ideas of Karl Marx. Marx believed that at some point in time, all societies end up being communist which can only be accomplished through revolution. In the early 1900s, Russian was governed by the Bolshevik party led by Vladimir Lenon. Stalin came into power after Lenin died and shortly thereafter, he began executing all those who he believed posed some kind of threat to his power. In Darkness at Noon, this is exactly what happened to the protagonist, Nicolas Rubashov. He was an elite in the Party and was there as â€Å"Number One† rose to power and later became a victim during the Moscow purges. The power that â€Å"Number One,† in reality Stalin, wielded, had been seen before and since his time in leaders such as Cuba’s Castro and North Korea’s Kim II Sung. Both followed similar paths to Stalin in eliminating all opposition and threats to their power. â€Å"Number One,† like Stalin, got rid of anyone who coul d possibly threaten him and take over. With that thought in mind, we are back to looking at how Arthur Koestler portrayed the character of Rubashov as a vehicle to illustrate the struggle between the ideas of the party and of the individual. The conspicuous disagreement of the Communist Party is the contention betweenShow MoreRelated`` Darkness At Noon `` By Arthur Koestler2081 Words   |  9 PagesNovel name as â€Å"Darkness at Noon† is Written by a British novelist Arthur Koestler. For the first time, this novel was published in 1940. The novel situated in 1938 amid the Stalinist Great Purge and Moscow reveal trials. In spite of being initiated on genuine occasions, the novel does not title either Russia or the USSR, and tends to utilize non-specific terms to depict individuals and associations: for instance, the Soviet government is alluded to as the Party and Nazi Germany is alluded to asRead MoreThe Failure Of The Communist Movement1347 Words   |  6 Pages years w ent by and Russia only saw the significant decrease of Soviet citizens caused by forced famine and liquidation. The failure of the communist movement can be seen in its flaws of its ideology. Arthur Koestler depicts and explains the fundamental flaw of communism, in his work Darkness at Noon, as the first person singular, simply known as â€Å"I†. The philosophy of Stalinist’s perfect soviet society are ruined because of this â€Å"grammatical fiction.† What is â€Å"Grammatical Fiction†? 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Rubashov, in hisRead MoreDarkness at Noon Essay2101 Words   |  9 PagesMarkovic Western Heritage 26 March 2012 Darkness At Noon Many critics consider Arthur Koestlers 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 Koestlers 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 novelRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 Pagescongenial, and they spent many hours playing poker, telling adventure stories, and singing songs in foreign languages. In December, after the freighter became iced in, Hughes read Samuel Butlers The Way of All Flesh, Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, and other classic novels. 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