Utopia vs. Dystopia

1. Utopia vs. Dystopia Partials as a Dystopia

2. What is an Utopia? • Literally it means “a place that does not exist” • Basically it is the “perfect” society • Utopistic narratives involve the descriptions of societies similar to the author’s own society, but better. That means the society is similar to ours, but functions more ideally.

3. Basic Points in a Utopian Novel: • The story is set in an isolated place • The story is developed by following the principles of that place/society • In the place/society there is a ruling class • A tragic development occurs in contrast with what the reader expects

4. What is a Dystopia? • A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control. Dystopias, through an exaggerated worst-case scenario, make a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or political system.

5. Basic Points in a Dystopia • A hierarchical society where divisions between the upper, middle and lower classes are definitive and unbreakable (Caste system). • The propaganda and the educational system have the purpose of preserving the order of system/society. • The cancellation of individuality.

6. Basic Traits in a Dystopia • 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. • • Citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance. • • Citizens have a fear of the outside world.

7. Dystopian Traits Cont. • Citizens live in a dehumanized state. • 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.

8. Types of Control in a Dystopian Society • Bureaucratic control: Society is controlled by a mindless bureaucracy through a tangle of red tape, relentless 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 ideology often enforced through a dictatorship or theocratic government.

9. 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.

10. Partials Reference Points

11. Niccolò Machiavelli • an Italian historian, politician, diplomat, philosopher, humanist, and writer • Founder of modern political science; specifically focused on ethics • "Machiavellianism" is a negative term used to characterize immoral politicians

12. Robert Brown • Botanist • Credited with Brownian Motion or partical theory • Theory is the random motion of particles suspended in a fluid (a liquid or a gas) resulting from their collision with the quick atoms or molecules in the gas or liquid

13. Segregation • The practice or policy of keeping people of different races, religions, etc., separate from each other • In the mid-1800’s, blacks were separated from whites by law and by private action • Blacks and whites had to use separate transportation, public accommodations, recreational facilities, prisons, armed forces, and schools in both Northern and Southern states

14. Totalitarianism • The political concept that the citizen should be totally subject to an absolute state authority. • Form of government that subordinates all aspects of its citizens' lives to the authority of the state, with a single charismatic leader as the ultimate authority. • Large-scale, organized violence may be legitimized. • The police operate without the constraint of laws and regulations. • Where pursuit of the state's goal is the only ideological foundation for such a government, achievement of the goal can never be acknowledged.

15. Themes After writing with this, the following are the themes that I thought should be mentioned and discussed.

16. Themes • Freedom vs. Security. At what point does the safety of a group overrule the rights of an individual? It's not 'always' (because we believe in personal freedom), and it's not 'never' (because we don't believe in outright anarchy), so where's the line? Is it even possible to define one clearly? • Reproductive Rights. What is your opinion of the Hope Act? Would you consent to live under it? How far would you go to oppose it?

17. Themes Cont. • When is it wrong to disobey authority? When is it okay to disobey authority? When is it vital to disobey authority? • What does it mean to be human?

18. Themes Cont. • How far are you willing to go to do what you know is right? The book doesn't really have any villains: Kira and the Senate and the Voice are all trying to save the human race from extinction, and they all have completely opposed methods of doing that, but are any of them inherently 'right' or 'wrong'? If the alternative is human extinction, would otherwise immoral behaviors become justified, or even moral? How does the weight of a crisis distort traditional definitions of morality?