Analysis Shikasta

—extract report, additional explanatory information ii johor, shikasta, p. 250.

the name shikasta comes persian word شکسته (shekasteh) meaning broken , , seen used name of iranian national style of persian calligraphy, shekasteh nastaʿlīq. in book, lessing not state explicitly planet shikasta earth, many critics believe similarities earth s history make clear shikasta earth seen canopeans. of documents in book written shikastans refer geographical locations , countries on earth. other critics, however, interpret shikasta allegorical earth parallel histories deviate time time.

shikasta has been called anti-novel , , architectonic novel . story of planet shikasta perspective of canopus , presented case study first-year students of canopean colonial rule . contains series of reports canopean emissaries planet, extracts canopean reference, history of shikasta, , copies of letters , journals written selected shikastans. history of shikasta monitored virtually immortal canopeans, rohanda s prehistory, through shikasta s century of destruction (earth s 20th century), , earth s future when chinese occupy europe , world war iii breaks out. book purports true history of our planet.

shikasta alludes old testament, gnosticism , sufism, , draws on several judeo-christian themes. lessing wrote in book s preface has roots in old testament. sowf (substance-of-we-feeling), spiritual nourishment flows canopus shikasta, word invented pronunciation similar sufi . reviewer of book in los angeles times said shikasta reworking of bible , , infinity plus website draws parallels between canopeans , emissaries, , god , angels old testament. new york times reviewer wrote outer space canopeans come metaphor religious or inner space . thelma j. shinn, in book worlds within women: myth , mythmaking in fantastic literature women, described struggle between canopus , shammat, played out on shikasta, eternal struggle between , evil , , degenerative disease strikes shikasta metaphor original sin. lessing said in interview final war (world war iii) @ end of novel apocalypse. phyllis sternberg perrakis wrote in journal of bahá’í studies shikasta symbolic rendering of coming of new prophet earthlike planet , , relates bahá’í principles.