Transcript Dystopian Literature

Dystopian Literature
Introduction to your research
novels.
Look over the research packet this
weekend. What is the main
difference between this and the
Outliers paper?
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
• 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 and
Running Man.
• Bureaucratic control: Society is controlled by a
mindless bureaucracy through a tangle of red tape,
relentless regulations, and incompetent government
officials. Examples in film include Brazil.
• Technological control: Society is controlled by
technology—through computers, robots, and/or
scientific means. Examples include The Matrix, The
Terminator, and I, Robot.
• Philosophical/religious control: Society is controlled
by philosophical or religious ideology often enforced
through a dictatorship or theocratic government.
Dystopian Literature
• a subset of the larger category of antiUtopian 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.
Timed Writing
• Wednesday, January 18th
• Read and analyze a dystopian short story
• Review elements of dystopia and other
literary elements
• Journals will be ready for review Monday
morning beforehand.
Read together
• “The Future Sucks”
• “Why Do We Like Dystopian Novels?”
• Dystopias: Definition and Characteristics
practice with research
• Read “Le Guin’s Opus”
Discussion Groups
• Alec, Abby, Reese, Maia, Anqi
• Maddy, Bailey, Sydney, Miranda, Alex
• Kaylee, Christina, Nick, Dalton
• Alexis, Frank, Hadia, Tianqi, Matthew
Discussion Groups
• Griffin, Emily M., Julia, Remi, Lauren, Cotton
• Riley, Rebecca, Emily H., Alex, Cassidy,
Lindsey
• Zach, Gavin, Nathan, Skylar, Tori, Amanda
• Etoro, Daniel, Tyler, Alyson, Gracie, Ashlyn
Research Novel Discussion
• Look at the themes for your novel.
Compare them to the themes of other
groups. Can you come up with 2 themes
that engulf all of your texts that are more
specific than the general dystopian
themes?
• Discuss following topics as they apply to
your text: vulgarity, powerlessness,
identity, language, reality vs. illusion,
relationship to the past. Is there a
common purpose for each concept?
“Imagine, If You Can”: “The Machine
Stops” Discussion
1. Discuss the text: burning questions and comments.
Remember it was published in 1909.
2. Take the March-Russell article paragraph by
paragraph, picking out important quotes and
connecting them to the text. Number them
accordingly. (Same activity as we did with “Omelas.”)
*You want to pick quotes that you couldn’t come up
with on your own. No plot points or obvious
interpretations.
3. Look at the dystopian notes. What elements apply,
and how do they function to produce a theme? Are
these themes still applicable today? How close to this
dystopia has society ventured?
Reading Check
• Get out a sheet of paper and a pen.
• Clear your desks.
• Answer as thoroughly as possible within
about 3 sentences.
• 25 minutes max
Brave New World Groups
• Discuss burning questions and topics.
• Discuss the Henry Ford interview.
– What is interesting about it/him?
– What are Ford’s priorities? How do you know?
• How does it relate to BNW?
• Discuss 3 possible themes. Find a quote for each.
• Discuss each character (especially John, Bernard, Lenina,
Linda). What purpose might he or she serve?
• Discuss the society.
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Is the use of drugs moral/immoral/effective/ineffective?
Is the freedom to pursue pleasure effective as a control?
What is the purpose of the reservation?
Are the citizens happy?