The theme of totalitarianism in "English" fiction

This study investigates the treatment of totalitarianism in 'English' fiction through the last six decades. It looks at the ideas and views developed as well as the strategies adopted to cope with the trauma and threat of this form of political oppression. The chosen novels are analysed within their own fictional and ethical framework. Their unique historical contribution is assessed in the context of the developing academic and public debate about totalitarianism. The discussion of native British and American/Canadian writers as well as Eastern European writers, who came to write about their first-hand experiences in the English language, leads to a comprehensive picture of Anglo-American fiction's response to the most important political phenomenon of our century.