Between Dystopia & Truth: A Dive into Karin Boye’s ‘Kallocain’

At least I’m alive — in spite of what they have taken from me — and right now, I know that what I am is on the way somewhere. — (Boye, 1940, p. 157).

There’s a certain thrill in discovering a book that unexpectedly turns out to be a masterpiece. This was precisely my experience when I picked up Karin Boye’s “Kallocain” at my local bookstore.

Time and again, I find myself drawn to literature penned before the 1980s. These works consistently provoke deep thought, foster connection, and evoke powerful emotions unlike any other. But that’s a matter for another article.

“Kallocain” is a dystopian novel, often compared to Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and George Orwell’s “1984” (both of them are on my ‘favorites’ book collection as well). The novel was published in 1940, just before the height of World War II.

This stands as the final major work of Karin Boye. The Swedish author, deeply affected by the tumultuous events unfolding across Europe in the late 1930s, felt an imperative to pen this sci-fi reflection on the era.

Karin Boye’s Background

“Kallocain” is my first encounter with Karin Boye’s writings. I’m pleased to have stumbled upon such a poignant voice and look forward to exploring her full collection with keen interest.

Karin Boye was a Swedish poet and novelist. Born in 1900, she became one of Sweden’s most beloved and critically acclaimed authors. In addition to “Kallocain,” she’s best known for her poetry.

I was somberly struck by the book’s introduction, which revealed the tragic circumstances of her passing — a result of an overdose on sleeping pills.

Weiss anonymous narrator says that, at some deep psychological level, Boye wanted to fuse with the masses, but that, in the context of the world situation, was not motivated by a desire for life — rather, by a mounting despair and wish for disappearance and annihilation.

I envision her, with her keen sensitivity and intellect, struggling deeply with the incomprehensible and futile nature of war and its impact on those around her.

It’s difficult to pass judgment, for anyone with a shred of humanity, much like Karin, would undoubtedly grapple with the harsh realities of such times.

Story Premise

The novel is set in a future totalitarian world-state, where a chemist named Leo Kall invents Kallocain, a drug that forces people to tell the truth. This drug is seen as a valuable tool for the state to maintain control and root out dissent.

The theme delves deep into philosophical questions about the nature of truth, the rights of the individual versus the collective, and the tension between personal privacy and state security.

The timeless nature of the themes in this novel makes it a profound piece for introspection, regardless of where one stands in their life journey.

While technology has bestowed upon us remarkable benefits and enhanced productivity, it has also ushered in pressing concerns about privacy and liberty. The multifaceted implications of our tech-driven era are vast and continually evolving.

I recently watched a video by The Center of Humane Technology discussing the potential perils of Artificial Intelligence. It emphasized the need to approach AI with more foresight than we did with social media, a sentiment I find hard to forget.

Exploring human feelings

The protagonists in the novel grapple with inner turmoil related to notions of “purpose.” Homes are ubiquitously equipped with cameras and microphones, surveillance tools to ensure every individual’s unwavering allegiance to the state.

In this dystopia, trust has evaporated, with citizens constantly on the lookout for rule-breakers or state betrayers. Leo Kall, our central character, navigates a marriage punctuated by isolation. He cannot candidly express his emotions to his wife, fearing she might report him.

In this society, to harbor affection or loyalty for anyone beyond the state is deemed criminal.

Amid the darkness, there are glimmers of hope, where characters recognize the profoundness of human bonds and the essence of life.

Leo, at one point, stands in wonderment of the universe, taking in the starry expanse and relishing the touch of the wind.

It serves as a poignant reminder of life’s core values and the need to be vigilant, ensuring such fundamental rights aren’t jeopardized in history or our daily lives.

Legacy

The novel delves deep into the intricacies of individuality, truth, and the omnipresence of surveillance, topics that have only gained significance with time.

As we navigate the 21st century, we find ourselves in an era dominated by digital footprints, where personal privacy constantly grapples with technological advancements.

The specter of state surveillance, once a distant dystopian notion, now feels eerily proximate.

Karin Boye’s “Kallocain” stands not just as a literary masterpiece, but also as a cautionary tale, shedding light on the fragile balance between personal freedom and overarching control, a balance more pertinent now than ever before.

My favorite quotes

In conclusion, I’d like to share a few passages from the book that profoundly resonated with me.

1. There are few things that say more about a person than their image of life: wether they see it as a road, a battlefield, a growing tree or a rolling sea.
2. From now on, no criminal will be able to deny the truth, not even our most intimate thoughts will be our own any more.
3. Their attitude was the correct and objective one, while mine was a manifestation of obsolete romanticism.
4. There was no magical act that could give me the key and the title deeds to the paradise Linda was keeping from me. So then what was the point of it all?
5. Everyone needs a now, you know, not just a vanished moment that you must live on for the rest of your life.
6. Is it not in the State’s best interest if my good-for-nothing, harmful, extremely unsympathetic enemy is convicted, even though he hasn’t really done anything punishable according to the law?
7. Kallocain was a necessary step in the whole of this development, as it expanded the community to the inner realm that people had hitherto kept to themselves.
8. Either he will come to understand me, or I will also come to understand him. We will understand each other and act together when we act. I am with him. With him I have nothing to fear.
9. If there were a reason for trust between people, no State would have risen. The sacred and necessary foundation of the State’s existence is our mutual well founded mistrust of each other.
10. I should have been warned by that warm female voice that spoke of the organic and afterwards always floated in my mind like the deepest of all repose.

When Kallocain reaches the bookstore in the fall of 1940, the bombs fall on Great Britain. In Aftonbladet, the dystopian literature about space is combined with snapshots from a London in ruins.

Thank you for reading!