Make Fiction Great Again! 5 Literary Demagogues

Didn’t you hear? Pedagogy is out, demagogy is in! With life imitating art so often, and a whole host of populist panderers climbing the greasy pole to governance throughout the world of fiction, it should probably come as no surprise that a finger-gesticulating, wall-building, pussy-grabbing, minority-alienating toupee has wormed his way into the White House… but it does. And boy, what a nasty surprise it promises to be. So with art presaging reality with such uncanny precision, perhaps it’s an idea to turn to the world of make-believe for a glimpse into what just might come next. 

Zaphod Beeblebrox – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

An egocentric, narcissistic, irresponsible tabloid celebrity, Zaphod Beeblebrox somehow manages to charm his way to the position of President of the Galaxy in the opening novel of the HHGTTG saga. He then promptly abuses his power to steal the most powerful spaceship in the universe and wreak havoc on anyone and everything that crosses his path. Sound familiar? Though that’s quite an unflattering portrait of Beeblebrox, his roguish charisma actually makes him the most desirable scenario on this shortlist… and aside from messing up the space-time continuum, does he really do anything that bad?

Reverend Parris / Abigail Williams – The Crucible

Though Reverend Parris is based upon a real-life architect of the Salem witch trials and could be seen as the principle agent of the fanaticism that runs throughout The Crucible, it’s his niece Abigail who is the more successful and disturbing demagogue in the work. While Parris cringes and creeps, Abigail calmly weaves a web of lies that entrap many innocents around her. Whether Trump's actions will allow himself to be either the dim-witted former or the deviously calculating latter remains to be seen – let’s just hope we don’t lose too many John Proctors in the finding out.

Jack Merridew – The Lord of the Flies

Childhood is so often used as a metaphor for innocence in fiction. As such, William Golding does an expert hatchet job on the moral fortitude of our race by telling the story of how a group of schoolboys shipwrecked on a desert island quickly turn into a gang of ruthless savages. Leading the charge is Jack, who leverages the islanders’ paranoia to oust Ralph (the Hillary to his Donald) from power and sacrifice the dreamer Simon and the bespectacled Piggy (for the sake of lazy convenience, let’s call the two of them together Bernie). Without wanting to give too much away, the final outcome isn’t quite as bleak as it could be, and the revelation of the boys’ primitive nature is perhaps punishment enough in itself. Another semi-acceptable scenario (sorry Bern!).

Napoleon – Animal Farm

While we’re on the theme of innocence giving way to corruption, George Orwell’s classic takes this idea one step further by allegorising tyranny amongst a bunch of (apparently) amoral farmyard animals. The author himself was quite open about his intention to frame the story as a conceit for the Russian Revolution, so Napoleon can easily be read as Joseph Stalin in fictionalised, porcine form. Up until now, Trump has often been seen as a figure of fun by many in the liberal media; his unexpected triumph has certainly put paid to that attitude but let’s just hope his legacy isn’t anywhere near as dark as either of those two characters.

Theophilius Velingtham / Thomas Banyon – The Crash of Hennington

Patrick Ness is often known as the king of young adult fiction, but his debut novel (written for adults) has slipped many fans by and turned off others who have read it. The book’s sprawling nature and lengthy cast of characters incite confusion and disorientation, not entirely dissimilar to that which is characterising world politics of late. This confusion culminates in the uprising of Theophilius Velingtham (a religious zealot) and Thomas Banyon (an unscrupulous sex trafficker) who incite a city-wide riot, purging Hennington of much of its wheat along with the chaff. With the US rarely so divided as it is now, this cathartic volatility is all too feasible a scenario in real life. Another one for the please-God-no pile.

Fictional Foretelling at its Most Frightening

So! If the world of literature is anything to go by, we’re probably all destined for hell in a handbag, carried by none other than Melania Trump. At least we had a few laughs along the road – thanks for reading and don’t forget to try the Kool-Aid on your way out. Everyone else has apparently. Add your favourites to the list and let's hope to find a way forward.