Surreal Politics: Post-political Guidelines from French Surrealism, Symbolism, and Structuralism

This thesis focuses on domestic and international political stagnation. Francis Fukuyama&rsquo;s &ldquo;end of history&rdquo; (1992) thesis argues that the world has reached a historical conclusion and that Western Liberal Democracy has succeeded. However, he is not entirely correct, an argument he realized and made many years later. The continued threat of the climate crisis and mutually assured destruction, along with a recent rise of far-right populist groups who critique the international liberal order, threaten Fukuyama&rsquo;s end of history. Although the global order is perceived to be &ldquo;constrained,&rdquo; this thesis looks at ways for humanity to innovate. By looking at the innovative literary movements of the 19th and 20th centuries that arose after times of great struggle, this thesis argues that the only way to move forward from moments of &ldquo;constraint&rdquo; is to look for the &ldquo;new.&rdquo; This thesis uses a case-study approach to defend this argument. Each chapter focuses on a different French literature movement: 19th-century symbolism, early 20th-century surrealism, mid-20th-century structuralism, poststructuralism, and the <em>Nouveau Roman</em> movement, and connects them to 20th-century political theorists influenced by the movement&rsquo;s works. In each case study, one to two guidelines are analyzed to help lead us to the &ldquo;new,&rdquo; which this thesis titles the &ldquo;utopian impulse&rdquo; &ndash; a term initially created by Frederic Jameson, derived from science-fiction author Olaf Stapledon&rsquo;s &ldquo;imaginative power.&rdquo; The two authors argue that humanity constantly innovates due to an impulse to see a better future. Therefore, using the case studies, this thesis finds guidelines for humanity to continue this utopian impulse/progress to break out of the constricting threats we face today in our domestic and international political community.