Optimism, literature, and culture in American capitalism and Chinese socialism Larson, Wendy creator author. text bibliography enk 2025 2025 monographic eng print viii, 197 pages : illustrations (black & white) ; 24 cm. "This book examines and interprets the uncanny similarity between capitalism and socialism over the twentieth century as both systems found ways to encourage happiness and optimism in their citizens. As inheritors of the Enlightenment's emphasis on scientific rationality, these cultures sought to instill in their citizens a belief in progress: in essence, history shows steady improvement, and the future will continue in this direction indefinitely. Optimism--which bears a temporal quality, a continual gaze to the future--is the favored state of mind in both capitalist and socialist societies, which have embraced progress as a theory of history. Related to optimism is happiness, which emphasizes the present. When progress as a theory of history is generally accepted, happiness becomes a transference of future advancement into present subjectivity, ultimately expressing acceptance of, and satisfaction with, society.= Fundamentally a literary study strongly embedded in history, this project looks to fiction to show not only how imaginary characters became models for readers, but also how narrative encouraged readers to engage in a struggle for new values. Characters worked out--or failed to work out--questions related to the personal and larger cultural shaping of an ongoing optimism. At the same time, writers questioned these models and, purposefully or otherwise, displayed the downsides of excessive, mandated, or coerced optimism. They also challenged the way in which optimism encompassed a belief in progress that itself could be camouflaged, and the demands for a happiness that imposed everyone else's wellbeing before one's own. The book compares Yang Mo's famous Song of Youth (1958) with Horatio Alger Jr.'s Ragged Dick (1868), Eleanor Hodgman Porter's Pollyanna (1913), and Frederick Kohner's Gidget (1957); Wang Meng's Long Live Youth (written 1953) and A Young Man Arrives at the Organization Department (1956) are evaluated against Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1958). This study both incorporates and challenges various political and cultural theoretical concepts including revolutionary optimism, permanent revolution, the theory of literary typicality, the New Soviet Person and the positive hero, optimistic autosuggestion, cultural authenticity, and positive thinking." -- The theory of progress and the embrace of optimism -- Capitalist optimism -- Socialist optimism -- When optimism fractures : Wang Meng and Jack Kerouac. Wendy Larson. Includes bibliographical references and index. n-us--- a-cc--- American literature 20th century History and criticism Capitalism Social aspects United States History 20th century Chinese literature 20th century History and criticism Happiness in literature Optimism in literature Socialism and culture China Chengdu History 20th century Littérature américaine 20e siècle Histoire et critique Littérature chinoise 20e siècle Histoire et critique Bonheur dans la littérature Optimisme dans la littérature Socialisme et culture Chine Chengdu Histoire 20e siècle American literature History and criticism Capitalism Social aspects History Chinese literature History and criticism Happiness in literature Optimism in literature Socialism and culture History China China Chengdu United States 1900-1999 fast DS33.4.U6 L37 2025 809.933552 Global Asias 9780198957928 0198957920 UKMGB 250716 20260203163637.2 in00005691405 eng