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49 pages 1 hour read

Tom Clancy

The Hunt for Red October

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1984

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Background

Authorial Context: Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy (1947-2013) was born into and grew up during the Cold War. As a young man, he wanted to join the US Army but was unable to because of his poor eyesight. Clancy was a lifelong devout Catholic, a trait that he shares with his characters Jack Ryan and John Clark. Clancy became good friends with many members of the military after the publication of his first novel, including General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who introduced Clancy to his second wife, Alexandra Llewellyn. Clancy also dedicated some of his books to conservative politicians, including former president Ronald Reagan. After September 11, 2001, Clancy appeared on several television talk shows claiming that the government “gutted” the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and this likely led to the terrorist attacks. Clancy’s political and religious beliefs, as well as his upbringing during the Cold War, are evident in his writing through his choice of character traits and his selection of the USSR as the enemy in several of his novels.

Clancy wrote 19 novels and 12 non-fiction works and inspired multiple works by other authors, as well as a list of video games and films based on his fictional works. Eight movies have been made based on Clancy’s books or characters, including the 1990 The Hunt for Red October starring Sean Connery and the Amazon series Jack Ryan, which stars John Krasinski.

Historical Context: Cold War

The Cold War is a time period during which there was a geopolitical power struggle between the Western and Eastern Blocs of the developed world, with the Western Bloc led by the US and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union. Although it is generally accepted that the Cold War began in 1945 during the aftermath of World War II, there is some thought that the struggle between the Soviet Union and the US actually began as early as 1922, when the US refused to recognize the new Soviet Union or do business with them. The US also became outspoken against the Soviet Union’s chosen political party, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, causing even greater tension between the two countries. The Cold War officially ended December 26, 1991, when the Soviet Union dissolved.

The ongoing power struggle during the Cold War included an attempt by the US to limit the expansion of the Soviet Union and Communism into other countries, a competition in the development of nuclear weapons, and a race to explore space. The Cold War also led to multiple conflicts between the US and the Soviet Union, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the conflict in Vietnam. During this time period, there was a constant competition between the two countries and a fear of impending war. This context sets the scene for the novel’s conflict, as it explains why the US would respond with immediate force should a Soviet submarine approach the coast of the US, any of her territories, or any borders of her allies’ territories.

Ideological Context: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922-91)

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), or the Soviet Union, was a country that spanned most of Eurasia and included the country known as Russia. The capital was Moscow, and it was governed by a single political party, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. During most of its existence, the Soviet Union was engaged in a Cold War with the Western Bloc, particularly the US. During the time period in which this novel is set, December 1984, the USSR was undergoing a time of difficult political, economic, and social norms known as the Era of Stagnation, which began under the rule of Leonid Brezhnev and continued under Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko. This difficult period led to leaders’ lack of trust in their subordinates, the lack of punishment for children of highly ranked party officials, and the lack of oversight on drug manufacturing, the combination of which is a primary character motivation within The Hunt for Red October. The Era of Stagnation was followed by a period of a deterioration of Soviet economic and political structures, leading eventually to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Soviet Union became involved in a continuous civil war in Afghanistan in 1979 that kept their forces there until 1989, encompassing the time period of this novel. This engagement is noted on several occasions in the novel, such as when Greer comments to Ryan, “Okay, we’ll go over the Afghanistan business tomorrow morning” (93). As a country at war, the Soviet Union was actively engaged in improving upon its military forces, including its Navy, creating fertile ground for the premise of this novel.

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