Transcript The Dystopian Novel

The Dystopian Novel
A Bleak Look into a Possible
Future
Dystopia
• A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος, which means
“Bad Place”) is a community or society that is in some
important way undesirable or frightening.
• It is the opposite of a utopia, which is an imagined future of
bliss and happiness.
• Such societies appear in many artistic works, particularly in
stories set in a future. Dystopias are often characterized by
dehumanization, totalitarian governments, environmental
disaster, or other characteristics associated with a cataclysmic
decline in society
The Politics of the Novel
• Dystopian societies appear in many sub-genres of fiction
and are often used to draw attention to real-world issues
regarding society, environment, politics, economics,
religion, psychology, ethics, science, and/or technology,
which if unaddressed could potentially lead to such a
dystopia-like condition.
Why do Authors Write
Dystopian Novels?
• As artists, they are, or try to be, aware of possible threats
or dangers to the free and open societies that allow them
to be artists in the first place.
• Remember, art can only function and flourish in free
societies; so artists are acutely aware of anything that can
threaten artistic freedom.
Learning from the Past
• For many Western artists, it is not groups like ISIS that
are threatening the society because they are OVERT and
open about their agenda.
• It is the COVERT dangers that are alarming because they
can insidiously insert themselves in open societies and
corrupt them from within, often without the people
knowing it.
Open Societies
• Remember, open and democratic societies are relatively NEW.
They have only been around for a little over 150 years.
• Before movements toward democracy, the societies were
ruled by centralized authorities who often claimed a divine
right to rule.
• These families and institutions have been around for
thousands of years. Where have they gone? How did they feel
when they lost their power to the democratic movements of
the 19th century?
Power Holds onto power
Conspiracy? No.
• This is not a conspiracy, this is a fact. You must imagine
that centralizing power is the objective of the most
powerful families and institutions in the world.
• Why? Because power loves more power. Social power
provides the owner of the power with great privilege.
• Think how awesome it must be to be a member of the
British Royal Family! Are they going to just give up their
social privileges to be more “fair”?
Power
• Power and its benefits are very appealing. Once power is
acquired it is hard to let go.
• Power provides privilege. Let us make a list of the many
privileges that comes with social power.
Struggle for Equality
• The social movements toward democracy were inspired
by the desire to spread power to more of the social
members. In other words, to take power and privilege
from the elite families and institutions and share it with
the masses.
• This struggle was not easy. The elite members of the
society certainly did not want to simply give away their
power and privilege. This struggle often involved violent
revolutions and severe repressions.
Rights Must be Won
Palestine
United
States
Bolivia
Where are we Today?
• In the year 2012 we have established many rights for the
masses. But are they here to stay?
• Can we lose our rights and freedoms once again?
• Who would benefit from our losing our social privileges?
George Carlin
• Listen to famous American comedian George Carlin
discuss civil rights.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaa9iw85t
W8
Methods and Techniques to
Re-Centralize Power
• In order to re-centralize power in open and democratic
societies power must be relinquished by the masses. In
other words, a ruthless dictator cannot run for president
saying, “Vote for me and I will take away all of your
liberties and rights and create a fascist state!”
• In order for power to re-assert itself it must first win the
support of the democratic masses, mostly through deceit,
manipulation, and fear.
Why would they do this?
• First, do away with any concept that the most powerful
people in the world are like you and I. Power loves power,
and absolute power can corrupt one’s morals and
compassion.
• The ideology of power produces a particular vision of the
world, one where there are those who “know” and those
who “do not know.” The one’s who “know” understand
what is good for us, even if we think otherwise.
Discuss this Quotation:
Who are the one’s Who KnoW?
How to Control the Masses in
10 Easy Steps
•
•
•
•
•
1. Spinfluence
2. Propaganda
3. The Herd
4. Strategy
5. Target
6. Triggers
7. Spin
8. Filters
9. Tactics
10. The Black Art
Step 1: Spinfluence
• SPIN: The technique in which language is used to
propagate a biased idea or interpretation of events.
• SPINFLUENCE: The power and influence which spin
exerts over a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
***Spinfluence is most successful when the audience
remains oblivious to the use of spin, believing instead that
their behavior is the result of their own independent thinking.
Ideas are Ammo; Words are
Weapons
• Simple ideas are the most explosive as they connect with
the widest range of people. But it must be delivered
carefully.
• Words are the most lethal weapons used in the battle for
hearts and minds. Sound bites and slogans are used to
deliver persuasive messages and subversive ideas.
How is Language Used in the following
Clip?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAALGqKP
aT4
Imagery
• Images have the unparalleled ability to affect the mind
and to leave a lasting impression.
• A strong and graphic image has the power to both shock
and seduce.
• Visuals succeed where words fail by condensing multiple
layers of meaning into one symbolic image.
Prior Examples of Spin
• In the 1980s, President Reagan publicly referred to the
Taliban as freedom fighters; by the 2000s, President Bush
was referring to them as Evil-doers. Which description is
right, and how would we be able to tell?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06xI83Esc8I
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyNcIkQexoA
Doublespeak
• Doublespeak is language that deliberately disguises, distorts,
or reverses the meaning of words. Doublespeak may take the
form of euphemisms (e.g., "downsizing" for layoffs,
"servicing the target" for bombing), in which case it is
primarily meant to make the truth sound more palatable. It
may also refer to intentional ambiguity in language or to
actual inversions of meaning (for example, naming a state of
war "peace"). In such cases, doublespeak disguises the nature
of the truth. Doublespeak is most closely associated with
political language
Examples of Doublespeak
• "Downsizing" instead of firing people
•
• "Reducing costs" as opposed to cutting
•
peoples' salaries or the amount of supplies •
going into work
• "Preowned" as opposed to used and possibly •
beaten up
•
• "Experienced" or "well experienced" in
place of old
•
• "Detainee" for a prisoner of war
•
• "Pre-emptive strike" instead of unprovoked •
attack
"Restructuring" instead of a reorganization
"Not quite clean" instead of really dirty
"A bit shaky" as opposed to of really poor
quality
"Gone to the Lord" instead of died
"Crossed over to the other side" instead of
dying or turning to evil
"Put to sleep" instead of euthanize
"Ethnic cleansing" instead of genocide
"Going a little over the top" as opposed to
drinking way too much
• "Enhanced interrogation" in place of torture • "Curvy" in place of fat
• "Capital punishment" instead of the death • "Ill advised" in place of highly thought
penalty
against or a very bad idea
• "Take down" in military language instead of
saying killing someone
Practice in Spin
• We are hired by MEFIS as the new Public Relations
(propaganda) personnel and our job is to take a negative
change in MEF and spin it to a positive. In other words,
we know that it is bad, and we agree with the masses who
will be upset, but our job is to manipulate them into
thinking it is good.
• We must also turn anyone who disagrees with us into an
enemy of some sort. Have fun!
W.O.L.F.
• We are the W.O.L.F., or the Wardens of Language and
Falsities.
• Our job is to ensure our version of the truth is always the
most persuasive.
• We combine cunning and stealth to frighten not just a few
cows but indeed the broad masses of the herd.
C.O.W.S
• The C.O.W.S., or the Corporation Owned Wage Slaves,
are the masses. They are the people who, straddled with
debt are forced into a continuous cycle of long hours and
servitude to their corporate masters.
• They are the herd, often frightened and unpredictable. We
must control their hearts and minds so they behave the
way we want them to behave.
T.H.E.M.
• We are working for T.H.E.M., or The Hidden Elite
Minority. They are the true rulers of the world. They have
complete influence over governments, banking groups,
corporations, military and intelligence networks.
• It is our job, as the W.O.L.F. to protect T.H.E.M. at the
top of the social pyramid from the unruly, unpredictable,
and bewildered herd of C.O.W.S. beneath.