Happiness as an Impossible Horizon: On Andrei Platonov and Michel Houellebecq
Abstract
This article offers an analysis of the short story Dzhan by Andrei Platonov written in the early 20th century, and the novel The Possibility of an Island by Michel Houellebecq penned in the early 21st century. Genre-wise, both works navigate between utopia and dystopia. The text explores the potential for happiness in conditions of a primordial, pre-modern society (in Dzhan) and in the context of hypermodernity (The Possibility of an Island). The article questions: What happens to the perfect utopian machine and the pursuit of happiness today? Or, how does the absence of desire and imagination, the lack of a lasting yearning for future horizons, as an essential existential aspect of humanity, undermine even the inhuman itself? Keywords: Andrei Platonov; Michel Houellebecq; Dzhan (Soul); The Possibility of an Island; utopia; dystopia; happiness; eternal life
Downloads
Veröffentlicht
Ausgabe
Rubrik
Lizenz
С изпращането на статията си за публикуване в Colloquia Comparativa Litterarum всеки автор автоматично отстъпва безвъзмездно правата за публикуване на текста си, на езика, на който го е предоставил. Редакцията има право да осъществи издателското оформление, без да се консултира с автора. За препечатване е необходимо да се потърси разрешение от редакцията на Colloquia Comparativa Litterarum. Авторът носи пълната отговорност за съдържанието на текста си.
En soumettant son article à Colloquia Comparativa Litterarum, chaque auteur lui cède automatiquement et gratuitement ses droits d’auteur dans la langue dans laquelle il l'avait fournie. Le Comité de rédaction a le droit de réaliser la mise en page sans consulter l'auteur. Pour une réimpression il est nécessaire d'obtenir la permission de Colloquia Comparativa Litterarum. Les textes et leur contenu relèvent de la seule et entière responsabilité des auteurs.
By submitting their article for publication in Colloquia Comparativa Litterarum, authors automatically grant the rights to publish their text in the language in which they have provided it free of charge. The editors have the right to carry out the publishing layout without consulting the author. For reprinting, permission is required from the Editorial Board of Colloquia Comparativa Litterarum. Authors are solely responsible for the content of their texts.
