Utopia by Sir Thomas More | Summary

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Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe explains the summary of Sir Thomas More's novel Utopia.

Sir Thomas More's Utopia is a satirical novel that brought us today's common word for a perfect society. More coined the word "utopia" from the Greek for "good place."

The story is structured as a series of conversations between More and fictional traveler Raphael Hythloday, who has just returned from a journey during which he visited the titular island. This supposedly ideal civilization is governed by ideas that are by turns egalitarian and draconian—property and work are divided equally, but punishments for certain relatively minor offenses are severe.

The novel, interpreted as both a sly critique of European governance and of the notion that society can be perfected, remains influential in the creation of imaginary worlds.

Later authors built on the ideas laid out in Utopia to write utopian and dystopian books such as 1984, Brave New World, and Walden Two. The idea of utopia has also influenced the development of such political philosophies as communism and the cooperative and commune movements.

Sir Thomas More, one of the most famous men in European history, first published Utopia in Latin in 1516. He never describes a particular purpose in writing Utopia. However, scholars agree it is a combination of social satire and genuine philosophical thinking.

The book contains many powerful themes, such as property and wealth, the perfect place, and crime and punishment. Symbols include the island representing Utopia’s uniqueness and isolation from the world, and gold representing the futility of greed in a society where everyone’s needs are met.

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