We are increasingly ruled not by people but by characters. U.S. President Donald Trump’s reality show presidency or Russian President Vladimir Putin’s cartoon authoritarianism recalls Charlie Chaplin’s 1940 film, "The Great Dictator." Yet in both Russia and the United States — polar opposites that have become near-mirror images — the Chaplinesque dictators’ divisive, populist messages could be considered anything but comical.
Grappling with these absurd and disturbing characters requires that we consult more than just classic cinema. We need literature, the kind that reminds us why we are what we are. Great stories offer moral roadmaps, and when common sense is in short supply, they can keep one grounded amid chaos and uncertainty.