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Utopia Dystopia. Exploring Dystopian Characteristics Through Film: Decoding The Matrix. English II (10 th Grade) Mrs. Humphreys. State Standards Addressed. English II Standard 7 - Media SPI 3002.7.1 Draw an inference from a non-print medium.
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Exploring Dystopian Characteristics Through Film:Decoding The Matrix English II (10th Grade) Mrs. Humphreys
State Standards Addressed English II Standard 7 - Media • SPI 3002.7.1 Draw an inference from a non-print medium. • SPI 3002.7.2 Select the type of conflict represented in a non-print medium. • SPI 3002.7.6 Infer the mood represented in a non-print medium.
Notes Sheet • Directions: As we move through the lesson, fill in the blanks with the correct information. The answers will be in BOLD FONT.
What is a Utopia? • Utopia:A place, state, or condition that is perfect in politics, laws, traditions, customs, and conditions.
Utopia What was your definition? 1. anideal place or state. 2. any visionary system of political or socialperfection. (Source: Dictionary.com)*Utopia literally: no place, from Greek ou not + topos a place* • Utopianrefers to human efforts to create a perfect society.
Utopian Concepts • A beautiful society with a general pacifistic attitude • No poverty or misery • Very few laws (if any) • Money is not needed • People do only work that they enjoy and which benefits the common good
What is a Dystopia? • Dystopia: A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, government, technological, or moral control. • Dystopiasareworst-case scenariosthatmake a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or political system.
Dystopia What was your definition? 1. an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives (Source: Merriam-Webster.com) 1. an imaginary place where people are unhappy and usually afraid because they are not treated fairly(Source: LearnersDictionary.com) • Dystopianis the opposite of utopian; it is often a utopia gone “sour”, a place or where everything is as bad as it could possibly be.
Characteristics of a Dystopian Society • Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society. • Information, independent thinking, and freedom are restricted and controlled. • A figurehead or concept is worshipped by the citizens of the society. • The natural world is banished and distrusted.
Characteristics of a Dystopian Society • Citizens: -are under constant surveillance -have a fear of the outside world -live in a dehumanizedstate-conform to uniform expectations • Individuality and opposition are bad • Society is an illusion of a perfect utopian world
Types of Dystopian Controls • Corporate control • Governmentcontrol • Technological control • Philosophical/Religious control
Types Of Conflict • Man vs. Man • Man vs. Society (Government, Corporate, Technology) • Man vs. Nature • Man vs. Self
Corporate control • One or more large companies control society through products, advertising, and/or the media.
Governmentcontrol • Society is controlled by a mindless governmentthrough a tangle of red tape, harsh regulations, and incompetent government officials.
Technological control • Society is controlled by technology—through computers, robots, and/or scientific means.
Philosophical/Religious control • Society is controlled by philosophical or religious beliefs which are enforced through a dictatorship or a “divinely guided”government.
The Dystopian Protagonist… • 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/she lives •helps the audience recognize the negativeparts of the dystopian world through his/her perspective.
Dystopia in entertainment • Not everything is a perfect fit • “Tweaking” for irony • It all boils down to $$$$$$$
The Matrix Summary • Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives. By day he is an average computer programmer and by night a hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality, but the truth is far beyond his imagination. • Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. • Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines that live off of the humans' body heat and electrochemical energy and who imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. • As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents: super-powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion.
Graphic Organizer for The Matrix Movie Clips • Directions: After each clip is viewed, write how the clip shows/demonstrates a dystopian world in the corresponding boxes.
Clip 1: “The Choice – Going down the Rabbit hole” Dystopian Characteristics: • The characters feel trapped and struggle to escape. • The characters question the existing social and political systems. • The characters believe something is terribly wrong with the society they live in.
Clip 2: “Slimy Re-birth” Dystopian Characteristics: • Technology is the controlling factor of this society. • The characters feel trapped and struggle to escape. • Citizens live in a “dehumanized” state
Clip 3: “The Real world” Dystopian Characteristics: • The setting is an illusion of a perfect utopian society. • Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted. • Citizens live in a “dehumanized” state. • The natural world is banished and distrusted.
Clip 4: “The Gatekeepers” Dystopian Characteristics: • Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted. • Citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance. • Technology is the controlling factor of this society.
Dystopian Novels • usually include elements of contemporary society • are seen as a warning against some modern trend • used as cautionary tales (apocalypse!) • humankind is put into a society that may look inviting on the surface but in reality…is a nightmare
Dystopian Novels • 1984 • Brave New World • Fahrenheit 451 • A Clockwork Orange • Animal Farm • The Time Machine • Life As We Knew It • The Hunger Games • The Giver
Fahrenheit 451 • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953) • The story takes place in the twenty-first century, in an America where books are banned. • Society feels that “opinion” books contain conflicting theories which are disruptive to society. • The penalty for owning one is having one's house and books burnt by "firemen." • 451° F is stated as “the temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns…”
Life As We Knew it • Life As We Knew Itby Susan Beth Pfeffer (2008) • Told in a year’s worth of journal entries, this heart-pounding story chronicles Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world. • The natural world is gone due to a major disaster • The current world is feared and people are driven into chaos • Apocalyptic
TOTD (Ticket out The Door) Follow the directions on the handout, and turn it in before you leave.