| The Survivors of the "Jonathan" | |
|---|---|
2008 paperback edition, by Welcome Rain; Tra edition |
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| Author(s) | Jules Verne; Michel Verne |
| Translator | Benjamin Ivry |
| Illustrator | Georges Roux |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Genre(s) | Political |
| Publication date | 1909 |
The Survivors of the "Jonathan", also known as Magellania,[1] is a novel that was written (as Magellania) by Jules Verne in 1897. However, it was not published until 1909, after it had been rewritten by Verne's son Michel under the title Les naufragés du "Jonathan".
Piero Gondolo della Riva discovered the original manuscript in the Hetzel family archives in 1977.[2]
The two parts of the novel were subsequently translated and published separately in English as Masterless Man and Unwilling Dictator.[2]
Contents |
The novel tells the story of a mysterious man named Kaw-djer. Kaw-djer lives in the land of Magellania, that is, the region around the Straits of Magellan. Kaw-djer, whose motto is "Neither God nor master", helps himself survive and also provides assistance to the indigenous peoples of Magellania. However, when a group of settlers is shipwrecked on a nearby island, Kaw-djer assists them establish their colony, though he refuses to rule over them or control them in any way. However, when the colony falls victim to fight for power, Kaw-djer is forced to temporarily abandon his own anarchistic principles. After he restores order, he abdicates and becomes a lighthouse-keeper, thereby retaining his individualism.
The novel explores the idea of anarchy as form of social organization, and the problems that make it impossible or possible to apply.[3] However, Kaw-djer is not a completely unsympathetic character, and since he is portrayed in a positive light, symbolizes the attractiveness that individualist anarchism held for the writer.[3]