William Morris - Socialist Educator

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,7, Humboldt-University of Berlin (Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik), course: English Literary and Cultural History , language: English, abstract: William Morris, artist and socialist with heart and soul, tried to persuade people of the socialist ideas which should bring them better living conditions. In his opinion education is the right way to achieve this aim. Therefore, he gave lectures and speeches, helped to found the Social Democratic Federation and the Socialist League and wrote articles, among others for the League s Newspaper Commonweal. There, Morris s News from Nowhere, a utopia, was first published as a serial novel. It is probably the most obvious representation of his convictions concerning education. He emphasises how life could look like in Communism and which advantages it could bring with it. It is stressed how political enlightenment of the society contributes tremendously to achieve the intended form of government. In his novel, Morris clearly points out his wishes and aims and thereby allows his fellow men an insight into a better, a socialistic coined world. As socialism needs supporter for its genesis, Morris has been fighting for the creation of those through proper education by all available means during his lifetime.