Gender, Power and Ideological Discourse: A Case Study

The present study aims at exploring a proto-dystopia from the perspective of gender studies, cultural studies and the historical context in which it appeared. The Iron Heel (1908) represents a classic example of ideological writing, an expression of the author's political and existential believes, as well as a type of work that anticipates and influences real historical events. The present analysis is primarily concerned with formulating a diagnosis of the social codes and prototypical images of the time, identifying at the same time the conscious or unconscious strategies for the manipulation, indoctrination and persuasion of the reader.