Framing Art under Tyranny: A Critical Study of Kadare's A Dictator Calls

The study investigates depoliticization and appropriation of art under a totalitarian regime in Ismail Kadare ‘s A Dictator Calls through the lens of critical theory. The study further examines how the socio-political apparatuses of oppressive power structures eliminate artistic freedom, critical thinking, and the full spectrum of human potential. Herbert Marcuse’s critical theory revolves around emancipation from one-dimensional thinking and repressive social structures. His most influential works, such as One-Dimensional Man (1964), articulate how advanced industrial societies, both capitalist and communist, suppress critical thought and genuine individual freedom through technological rationality, mass media, consumer culture, and political conformity. Two-dimensionality refers to the dialectical relationship between the present reality and its possible transformation. It involves the ability to think critically, challenge the status quo, and envision alternatives. Marcuse argues that the consumer culture of capitalism creates a one-dimensional individual by standardizing his needs. Marcuse elaborates that art should be two-dimensional. It should promote critical thinking, which he refers to as negative thinking. Marcuse introduces the concept of two-dimensionality and the free man. A Dictator Calls is a haunting example of the role of art in confronting tyranny. Through its exploration of moral ambiguity, the power of language, and the distortion of truth, the novel captures the precarious position of artists in oppressive societies.