Rethinking Utopian and Dystopian Imagination in Island Literature and Culture

Abstract

The trope of the utopian island occurs in a variety of cultural traditions. For example, in the West, the literary imagination of ideal islandness made manifest an imperialist rhetoric and contributed to European exploration and colonization. The tension between utopia and dystopia is an intrinsic feature of Western utopian island imaginations, which were complicit in colonial exploitation and oppression. Western models of island utopias and dystopias have been imposed on non-Western cultures, whose scholars have engaged in decolonial practices by adapting, reshaping, and transforming these conceptualizations. This special section, demonstrating the inherent intercultural qualities of utopian and dystopian island visions from diverse cultural traditions, contributes to decolonization efforts in island studies.