The Day Before the Revolution
Encyclopedia
"The Day Before the Revolution" is a Nebula Award
-winning short story
by Ursula K. Le Guin
, first published in 1974.
It is considered a short story prologue to The Dispossessed
and represents an idealized anarchy
by following the character of "Odo", the semilegendary woman who led the revolution
that founded the anarchist society in The Dispossessed.
Laia is the woman who developed an anarchist philosophy that inspired the revolution that founded the anarchist society of Anarres
in the novel The Dispossessed, which is set several generations after the events in this story. At the time of the story Laia is an elderly woman who has already had a major stroke
. Her husband is long dead, her days as a political prisoner
are in the past and her major anarchist treatises were written many years ago. She lives in the nation of A-Io on Urras
in an "Odonian House", a building or commune
in which her anarchist principles are followed and she acts as a focal point and inspiration for revolutionary action. The day is strongly implied to be both the day before the General Strike which becomes a revolution and results in the settlement of the barren moon Anarres by Laia's followers, and also the last day of Laia's own life.
The experience of aging, death
, grief
and sexuality in older age
are themes explored in the short story that were largely absent from The Dispossessed, which has a younger protagonist.
During the day Laia both re-affirms her commitment to anarchism and to "her people" (the urban poor and dispossessed), and is distanced from them by her partial foreknowledge of her impending death. There are also echoes of some themes in The Dispossessed. In particular the temptations of convention and authority have already appeared; Laia recognizes that some of the status and honor she is accorded by her fellow anarchists is not in keeping with her principles or theirs. In her discussion of the story in The Wind's Twelve Quarters
, Le Guin refers to Laia as one of the ones who walk away from Omelas
— a reference to Le Guin's short story of an apparent utopia that rests on torture and misery.
in 1974, and collected in Le Guin's influential short fiction collection, The Wind's Twelve Quarters in 1975. It has been anthologized and reprinted many times, including in the second volume of Pamela Sargent
's Women of Wonder series, More Women of Wonder (1975).
"The Day Before the Revolution" won the Nebula Award for short story in 1974, the Locus Award
for short story in 1975, and was nominated for the short story Hugo Award
in 1975.
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
-winning short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
, first published in 1974.
It is considered a short story prologue to The Dispossessed
The Dispossessed
The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia is a 1974 utopian science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, set in the same fictional universe as that of The Left Hand of Darkness . The book won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1974, both the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1975, and received a nomination for...
and represents an idealized anarchy
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
by following the character of "Odo", the semilegendary woman who led the revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
that founded the anarchist society in The Dispossessed.
Plot and themes
The story follows Laia Asieo Odo through a day of her life. In The Dispossessed, she is usually referred to as the historical figure "Odo", but in this story, told from her point of view, she's called Laia.Laia is the woman who developed an anarchist philosophy that inspired the revolution that founded the anarchist society of Anarres
Anarres
Anarres is one of two inhabited planets of Tau Ceti, in the 'Ekumen' science fiction novels by Ursula K. Le Guin.-Geography:Being the smaller body of a double planet system with Urras, Anarres is largely covered by land while having two large seas as the biggest bodies of water.While its society is...
in the novel The Dispossessed, which is set several generations after the events in this story. At the time of the story Laia is an elderly woman who has already had a major stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. Her husband is long dead, her days as a political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
are in the past and her major anarchist treatises were written many years ago. She lives in the nation of A-Io on Urras
Urras (fictional planet)
Urras is one of two inhabited planets of Tau Ceti, in the 'Ekumen' science fiction novels by Ursula K. Le Guin.-Geography:Being the larger body of a double planet system with Anarres, Urras is covered by oceans and continents....
in an "Odonian House", a building or commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
in which her anarchist principles are followed and she acts as a focal point and inspiration for revolutionary action. The day is strongly implied to be both the day before the General Strike which becomes a revolution and results in the settlement of the barren moon Anarres by Laia's followers, and also the last day of Laia's own life.
The experience of aging, death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, grief
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
and sexuality in older age
Sexuality in older age
Sexual drive can be considerable at any age and for either gender. While the human body has some limits on the maximum age for reproduction, sexual activity can be performed or experienced well into the later years of life.-Increasing Physical Limitations:...
are themes explored in the short story that were largely absent from The Dispossessed, which has a younger protagonist.
During the day Laia both re-affirms her commitment to anarchism and to "her people" (the urban poor and dispossessed), and is distanced from them by her partial foreknowledge of her impending death. There are also echoes of some themes in The Dispossessed. In particular the temptations of convention and authority have already appeared; Laia recognizes that some of the status and honor she is accorded by her fellow anarchists is not in keeping with her principles or theirs. In her discussion of the story in The Wind's Twelve Quarters
The Wind's Twelve Quarters
The Wind's Twelve Quarters is a collection of short stories by Ursula K. Le Guin first published by Harper & Row in 1975.Le Guin describes the collection as a retrospective. It includes many stories which had been published previously or expanded into novels. Others take place in locations that...
, Le Guin refers to Laia as one of the ones who walk away from Omelas
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas
"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" is a 1973 short story by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is a philosophical parable with a sparse plot featuring bare and abstract descriptions of characters; the city of Omelas is the primary focus of the narrative."The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" was nominated for...
— a reference to Le Guin's short story of an apparent utopia that rests on torture and misery.
Publication
The story was first published in GalaxyGalaxy Science Fiction
Galaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by an Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break in to the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L...
in 1974, and collected in Le Guin's influential short fiction collection, The Wind's Twelve Quarters in 1975. It has been anthologized and reprinted many times, including in the second volume of Pamela Sargent
Pamela Sargent
Pamela Sargent is an American, feminist, science fiction author, and editor. She has an MA in classical philosophy and has won a Nebula Award. She wrote a series concerning the terraforming of Venus that is sometimes compared to Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy, but predates it...
's Women of Wonder series, More Women of Wonder (1975).
"The Day Before the Revolution" won the Nebula Award for short story in 1974, the Locus Award
Locus Award
The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
for short story in 1975, and was nominated for the short story Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
in 1975.