Core: 4/9. It’s a simple story on invasion by capitalism but it’s somewhat grim.
Character: 1/9. The only memorable character is the President who disappeared in the context after conquerors dismiss the government. I would give a higher score if it’s President who planned the last rebellion.
Plot: 4/9. Scenario is easy but scenes are vivid. For example, I will never forget the scene that a pigeon fancier poisoned all his pigeons as well as himself. I don’t like the end because how could it happen if enemy had oppressed residents so deeply? It’s a bit illogical unless Unamuno was able to give details on how the insurrectionist failed but this time succeeded with the help of sympathizers on the upper city.
Principle city were defeated and enemy threw flowers hypocritically. Enemy troops played orchestra far outside the city rather than marched along the main streets in the city. At night, they put their condition onto the sky through the floodlights and since then numerous luminous advertisements occupied their sky.
President of Principle City issued a proclamation to call for public calm, which didn’t stop citizens from protesting against enemy in vain.
Enemy’s truce envoys were led by a woman (in 1913’s fiction!) who proclaimed their demands of building a new city over Principle City and robbing sunlights of them. President cried immediately and asked enemy to kill him out of mental breakdown. The woman explained they did it because they wanted to protect Principle City’s anachronistic but beautiful culture. President negotiated with leaseholders of the sky to publish his sinister announcement on citizens’ fate of never seeing true sky.
Enemy’s Efficient Philosophy Association installed omni-audible machine to tame citizens in a non-violent manner through systematic, inescapable, and infectious laughter, which caused eighty suicide, dozens of mental breakdown and incalculable nervous shocks for 5 million strong citizens. Efficient Philosophy Association declined citizens’ protest, because they want to beat the detrimental epidemic of optimism in Principle City. Conquerors used official negotiations, decrees, statutes and their organizations like the Society of Love for people to control citizens. Citizens came back but their morals were degenerating.
Conquerors dismiss their government and parliament and build up the Government of Obedience made up of six members: The Minister of Quiet, Politeness, Responsibility, Quantity, Illusions, and Hope.
Every corners in Principle City were disinfected and every residents were inoculated and fed bromide. A few uprising occurred but brutally suppressed. And after every defeated rebellions, Efficient Philosophy Association would use machine laughter to fight against ideas of optimism.
Finally, people in Principle City rebelled. Cave-ins and explosions in the lower city destroyed everything in conflagration. But survivors saw the rising and dazzlingly indifferent sun.