The Dystopian World...Dystopian Society •refers to fictional societies that are incredibly...
Transcript of The Dystopian World...Dystopian Society •refers to fictional societies that are incredibly...
The Dystopian World
• When you hear the word
dystopian, what are some ideas
that come to mind?
• What are some titles of books or
movies that you would consider
dystopian?
• Why are we attracted to the
dystopian genre?
Dystopia
• The term has been around since the 19th
century
• coined by English philosopher and
economist John Stuart Mill in 1868; but
as a genre of fiction, it really took off in
the 20th century and became very
prevalent in the years after World War II
Dystopian Society
• refers to fictional societies that are incredibly imperfect, lacking the harmonious and egalitarian qualities of life depicted in utopias
• The word utopia was first used in direct context by Sir Thomas More in his 1516 work Utopia. The word utopia resembles both the Greek words "no place", "outopos", and "good place", "eutopos".
• contains many of the same elements as utopias—such as intense measures of social control—but these elements are taken to horrific extremes, with emphasis upon their negative effects
• makes a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or political system
Characteristics of Society
• Propaganda is used to control the
citizens of society.
• Information, independent thought, and
freedom are restricted.
• A figurehead or concept is worshipped by
the citizens of the society.
• The natural world is banished and
distrusted.
• The society is an illusion of a perfect
utopian world.
Characteristics of Citizens
• Citizens are perceived to be under
constant surveillance.
• Citizens have a fear of the outside world.
• Citizens live in a dehumanized state.
• Citizens conform to uniform expectations.
Individuality and dissent are bad.
Dystopian Control
• Most dystopian works
present a world in which
oppressive societal
control and the illusion
of a perfect society are
maintained through one
or more of the following
types of controls…
Types of Dystopian Controls
• Corporate control: One or more large corporations control
society through products, advertising, and/or the media.
Examples include Minority Report, Running Man, and WALL-
E.
• Bureaucratic control: Society is controlled by a mindless
bureaucracy through a tangle of red tape, relentless
regulations, and sometimes incompetent government officials.
Examples in film include V for Vendetta, Brazil, The Hunger
Games, Divergent
• Technological control: Society is controlled by technology—
through computers, robots, and/or scientific means. Examples
include The Matrix, The Terminator, I am Legend, and I, Robot.
• Philosophical/religious control: Society is controlled by
philosophical or religious ideology often enforced through a
dictatorship or theocratic government. Example: The
Handmaid’s Tale
Dystopian Literature
• a subset of the larger category of anti-Utopian literature, which generally satirizes Utopian thinking
• stands out from other anti-utopian writing in that it doesn’t just say what’s wrong with utopian models of society, but offers an alternate view of social potentialities
• concerned with problems of the political and cultural context that produces them
• There is often a prescriptive element—Dystopian fictions almost always offer some kind of warning (often implicit) of what will happen should present trends continue
The Dystopian Protagonist
• often feels trapped and is struggling to
escape.
• questions the existing social and political
systems.
• believes or feels that something is terribly
wrong with the society in which he or she
lives.
• helps the audience recognizes the
negative aspects of the dystopian world
through his or her perspective.
Dystopian Themes
• mastery of nature—to the point that it becomes barren, or turns against humankind
• technological advances that enslave humans or regiment their lives; the mandatory division of people into castes or groups with specialized functions
• a collective loss of memory and history making mankind easier to manipulate psychologically and ultimately leading to dehumanization.
General conflicts addressed
in the dystopian genre:
• Environment
• Class Inequality
• Corruption/Government
• Capitalism/Social
Complacency
• Gender/Age Inequality
• Science/Technology
George Orwell’s 1984
• 1984, one of the most famous
dystopian novels, was written in 1949,
shortly after World War II and the rise
of totalitarian states on the right and
the left, such as Nazi Germany and
the Soviet Union under Stalin
• depicts Big Brother and the Thought
Police, elements of a profoundly
oppressive state bent on maintaining
absolute control over individuals
(including even their thoughts)