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Dystopian Literature
An Introduction
What is dystopia?
• Merriam Webster defines
dystopia as “an imaginary
place where people lead
dehumanized and often
fearful lives.”
• What does that really mean?
• It means that, although there is no
real place as “dystopia,” the ideas
and theories do exist in today’s
world.
Back in the day…
• When I was a child, my neighborhood
was filled with children playing
outside, riding their bikes without
helmets, popping in to various houses
for a drink or to cool off. Often, we
looked forward to summer because the
sun would be out later which meant we
could play longer; we had no curfew,
we simply waited for the street lights to
come on or the sound of our mother’s
voice beckoning from the front porch.
Humanity has changed us…
• We live in world where Amber
Alerts have parents fearing for
the safety of their children and
school shootings are becoming
more common. We have
senseless bombings that take the
lives of the innocent and we’re
under the constant threat of a
nuclear war.
Think…
• Imagine a world where you were no
longer called by your given name;
where everyone was given a
combination of letters and numbers in
an effort to create “equality” and
limiting individuality; where the
government attempted to control your
thoughts in an effort to keep you numb
from the world outside the walls. It
happened during the Holocaust and
continues to exist in other countries.
That, is dystopia.
In general…
• Dytopias, through an
exaggerated worst-case
scenario, make a criticism
about a current trend,
societal norm, or political
system.
Characteristics…
• 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.
Characteristics…
• Citizens are perceived to be
under constant
surveillance.
• Citizens have a fear of the
outside world.
• Citizens live in a
dehumanized state.
Characteristics…
• The natural world is
banished and distrusted.
• Citizens conform to
uniform expectations.
Individuality and dissent
are bad.
• The society is an illusion of
a perfect (utopian) world.
Types of 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
control:
Types of Dystopian control…
• Corporate Control: one or
more large corporations
control society through
products, advertising,
and/or the media.
• Examples:
• Minority Report
• Running Man
Types of Dystopian control…
• Bureaucratic Control: society
is controlled by a mindless
bureaucracy through a tangle
of red tape, relentless
regulations, and
incompetent officials.
• Examples:
• “Harrison Bergeron”
• “The Censors”
Types of Dystopian control…
• Technological Control:
society is controlled by
technology – through
computers, robots, and/or
scientific means.
• Examples:
• The Matrix
• The Terminator
• I, Robot
Types of Dystopian control…
• Philosophical/Religious
Control: society is controlled by
philosophical or religious
ideology often enforced
through a dictatorship or
theocratic government.
• Example:
• The Hunger Games
• “Harrison Bergeron”
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 they live.
• Helps the audience recognize
the negative aspects of the
dystopian world through their
perspective.