Meditating on the works of contemporary American poets and environmental activists Gary Snyder and W. S. Merwin, Barış Ağır explores the traces of two central cultures, the American Indian and Buddhism, in Snyder’s and Merwin’s poetics. The book culminates in a discussion of these poets’ new mythic sense derived from non-Western origin which ultimately deconstructs the anthropocentric ethics and values of Western culture.

Barış Ağır is an Assistant Professor of English Literature at Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, Turkey.

La tentative littéraire et philosophique d’Albert Camus reste sûrement parmi les plus originales du XXème siècle.  En se donnant comme motif primordial de concevoir l’homme dans sa quête et son besoin du bonheur et la vie dans sa finitude, il se propose de fonder un nouvel humanisme libertaire, individuel, collectif et cosmique et ceci contre tout ce qui nie l’homme -absurde- en tendant à l’écraser.

Le fil conducteur de toute son oeuvre se rapporte ainsi à une lucidité tragique qui n’interdit pas l’exigence d’humanité.  Son souci est d’abord d’identifier l’inhumain et de dénoncer ensuite la tyrannie du mal et l’abondance du malheur qui ne se caractérisent que par l’absurde.  Il cherche donc à créer un certain ‘royaume de ce monde’, à fonder enfin l’humain sur les deux nouveaux concepts –révolte et amour- en proposant un nouvel humanisme méditerranéen’ inédit jusqu’alors.

The aim of this book is to shed light on dystopia within the circle of twentieth century literature by analysing the development of totalitarianism and its detrimental effects, such as dehumanisation and social unrest that shattered the unity of society in three basic forms as reflected in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies (1953), George Orwell’s Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). Thus, it explores the beginning of totalitarianism resulted from an inborn instinctive drive as reflected in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies (1953) first, then its formation and rise in George Orwell’s Animal Farm (1945), then finally the ill effects of it in both society and in individuals in Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). Totalitarianism, together with “Fascism”, in the twentieth century can be confined to the period between 1922 and 1975. It starts with Mussolini; is followed by Hitler and Stalin, then ends with the death of Franco. It was during the rule of totalitarians that all ideals promising peace were abused to claim the rule, terror and fear factors were resorted to secure a totalitarian power at the expense of millions of deaths, torture and social unrest. In these novels, William Golding and George Orwell criticise how totalitarianism is established, and maintained by fear, manipulation and terror in the twentieth century.