I’m writing this to give some insight into the historical events which inspired “The Pendulum,” and examine the parallels from history. The book begins with a new country being formed on the Australian continent called the United Republic of the Southern Continent (U.R.S.C.). Supposed to be a haven its original intentions quickly fade away. This occurs at the start of the twenty first century against the backdrop of global turmoil, mass migration, economic uncertainty and war which again have taken place throughout history and unfortunately now which is another parallel in The Pendulum.
These events in the book were partly inspired by the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, which has had an impact on world geo-politics for over a century. I wanted to use this event to illustrate the ideological and political differences that are prevalent amongst the founding members of the U.R.S.C.
The differences between capitalism and communism which has caused much discussion and tension is also something I wanted to acknowledge. There is debate between the founders of the U.R.S.C. over how the new country’s market principle will operate, eventually a Laissez-Faire style of capitalism is chosen.
I’ve included this in the book to show the original objectives of a revolution or forming a new country like the U.R.S.C. supposed to be a haven of freedom and ideals becomes corrupted and strays from the formative intentions. Like how the U.S.S.R. becomes increasingly tyrannical and oppressive, this is yet another facet of the U.S.S.R. and their history that I used as inspiration for the important aspects of The Pendulum. There’s lots of aspects from the Stalinist era of Soviet history that inspires various parts of the book (which I will elaborate on in further essays).
How the government of the U.R.S.C. becomes corrupted and their aspirations for the country are overtaken by greed are mentioned by the characters as a catalyst for them to act and participate in a coup. The French Revolution in 1789 is also mentioned by a character and is used as a justification for their plans for revolution. It’s allegorical for how the French peasants abolished nobility and monarchy and installed a different style of governance. While the character’s struggle in the book is less about feudalism and monarchies but their ideological reasons behind rallying against the control reasons remain the same.
We can still draw comparisons between the French peasant revolutionaries and the modern story characters. The main reason for both the uprising and the disobedience was to get a better life with better opportunities within a more equitable society.
Which brings up another contentious issue is the idea of migration, because the original ideologies for the founding of the U.R.S.C. was to create a place where everyone was welcome, to begin with their immigration laws are so relaxed that almost anyone can gain access to the country. Which quickly becomes a haven for criminals. Migration has been a difficult problem throughout history and remains so in our modern times, this idea sets the groundwork for most of the characters fleeing the turmoil in their respective countries and coming to the U.R.S.C. in search of a better life (which I will touch on in further essays).
The criminal natures of some of the character’s means they’re not disinclined to use violence to achieve their goals. The horrible milieu in which they’ve come form and continue to be a part of within the book serve as the reason behind what they do and why they do it. the idea of the redemptive arc was a huge focus behind creating some of the character’s, even if their idea of redemption falls on the wrong side of the law.
J.L. Whitton