How does Koestler depict Soviet Communism in Darkness at Noon?
Although it is never named outright in the novel, Koestler clearly intends the setting of Darkness at Noon to be the Soviet Union. References to the nation's shadowy leader, Number One, are meant to refer to Joseph Stalin. The background of this novel is the 1938 purges in which Stalin had real and perceived enemies executed on trumped-up charges after being convicted in show trials.
In Darkness at Noon, the Soviet Union is depicted as a land of paranoia and betrayal. Nikolai Salmanovich Rubashov, the story's protagonist, is a loyal supporter of the state. He feels that no matter what atrocities the state may commit, history will judge it kindly in the end as having done what was necessary at the time. In this sense, Communism is depicted as an ideology capable of great evils in the name of what it sees as the greater good.
However, Rubashov's...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
loyalty to the ideology does not save him. As a victim of the purges, Rubashov's fate illustrates how Soviet Communist ideology leads the party to destroy its own. It also shows the hypocrisy of the system. The rank and file of the regime are expected to fall into line and exalt the party leadership without question. Yet the Communist elite does not think twice about sacrificing these loyal followers at the earliest convenience.
How does Arthur Koestler critique Stalinism through key tensions in Darkness at Noon?
Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon is a sharp denunciation of Stalinism through the story of Nicolas Rubashov, a former Communist official under Lenin who is imprisoned and executed under Stalin's rule. Koestler focuses on the themes of logic versus reason and Machiavellian ideas to show the horrors of Stalinism. Let's look more closely at this.
Rubashov has always prided himself on his logic and his reason. He believes that these are what he has lived by and made his decisions by, but now that he is in prison, he realizes that this is not true. He is haunted by the people he has denounced over the years and his failure to stand up for the innocent. These were not acts of logic and reason but acts of fear and self-promotion.
Now Rubashov is caught in a net of absurdity as a prisoner himself. His friend Ivanov, who is managing his case, tries to convince him of the logic of confessing to a lesser charge, but deep down, Rubashov knows that this is absurd. Indeed, Rubashov is executed even after he gives in to the “logic” and confesses.
We can also see the Machiavellian ideas here, especially the idea that the end justifies the means. Rubashov has always operated by that principle. He has made his choices based on promoting the Communist agenda, but now that Communist agenda has turned against him as Stalin is “liquidating” the old Leninists that he believes are disloyal. Stalin will use any means to secure and increase his power, including the deaths of Rubashov and his colleagues.