Introduction

What if I told you our politics are completely contradictory? Sure, this may seem completely counterproductive, as policymakers often need to agree on issues with their blocs to get things done. However, getting them to that place often takes coalitions of voters, which seem to be contradiction upon contradiction. This is especially true in the case of the 2024 election, to which the election of Donald Trump was built upon a cannibalistic coalition of individuals who betrayed themselves. Through the physical short story collection, Quisling: Stories from a Cannibalistic Nation in Chaos, the information economy that incites such personal political betrayal is explored, where readers are encouraged to have nuanced discussions about how rhetoric and stories can influence our thinking. Each story references a specific posture within Donald Trump’s coalition and then attempts to deconstruct it, using historical references and never specifically naming characters to create settings of cultural ambiguity. 

Literature Review

• Artistic Influence – For this collection, a heavy influence was The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck, one of the most famous pieces of WW2-era protest literature. Written in an effort to help the territories under Nazi occupation rise up agaisnt their occupiers, this collection takes heavily from Steinbeck’s use of powerful allegory and non-specifc settings to create universal contexts from which the pieces in Quisling can be interpreted and consumed. 

• Scholarly Influence – An important source was the biography of Vidkun Quisling, the namesake for this collection and one of the most famous “traitors” in the Western world. Through this case study, of sorts, political betrayal was researched, and how one person in history thought betrayal of the collective would further himself (Dahl, 1999), which manifests in several themes explored in the collection. Further, effective political brands, including the MAGA brand, were analyzed, with a focus on how information through branding can manifest itself in the policy choices of people (Torres-Spelliscy, 2019). 

Methods

A literature review of protest literature pieces, including The Moon is Down, was conducted to build familiarity with the style of the narrative writing that the collection was built to emulate. Further, a large amount of secondary research was conducted, particularly of historical texts, like the Norse myths, and political theory, to examine the “how” and “why” factors in building the narratives and the metaphors that encapsulate stories of the collection. 

Audience & Impact

The intended audience is swing voters and anyone interested in politics. Swing voters are likely to take away this collection as a place to reflect and ponder how extremism has become a mainstay in the current political landscape. The specific impacts of the collection are to open up an honest discussion about the state of the country, the reason why we are in the current moment, and how to potentially move forward. Art is inherently political and is also an accessible way for people to recognize trends within their societies, and this collection will inspire introspection on topics that are often seen as taboo when discussed plainly. 

References

Dahl, H. F. (1999). Quisling: a study in treachery. Cambridge University Press. Print.

Steinbeck, J. (1942). The moon is down. Penguin Classics. Print. 

Torres-Spelliscy, C. (2019). The Power of Branding in Politics. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/power-branding-politics

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the amazing Arts Scholars faculty,  Heather, Harold, and Irene, for serving as great supports throughout this process and being great resources for my questions and concerns.