Let him forget there is such a thing as war. If you don’t want a man unhappy politically, don’t give him two sides to a question to worry him give him one. Those who don’t conform to the rules and norms of this society, in terms of behavior and thought, are publicly executed or removed as punishment to a radioactive wasteland called “The Colonies.” This dystopia calls upon readers to consider the dire consequences of societal and political control, oppression of women and people of color, and pursuit of uniformity. The novel portrays a frightening police state in which anyone can be a government spy and threaten someone’s life. In addition to the oppression of women, Atwood’s dystopian work emphasizes the peril of nonconformity and the extreme measures taken to enforce obedience of thought and behavior. This leads to objectification, violence, and full surrender of women to patriarchal rule. Among the many themes explored in Atwood’s dystopia is the dark future prescribed as a result of political control over women’s bodies and reproduction. All women characters in the novel are subjugated, indoctrinated, and divided into rigid classes of “chaste” and childless wives, housekeepers, and “handmaids” who are still capable of bearing children to relinquish to the wives. In Atwood’s famous novel, she creates a dystopian country, ruled by an authoritarian patriarchal theocracy based in Puritanical Christianity.

In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. There is more than one kind of freedom,” said Aunt Lydia. Here are some examples of dystopia in well-known works of literature: Example 1: The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) Though dystopian literature often portrays an ideal society on the surface, the underlying oppression, violence, desolation, and/or chaos reveals the many ways that humans can be corrupted by power, greed, control, war, and other factors. The use of dystopia as a literary device allows writers to create stories that are centered around the opposite of a utopian environment–a “perfect” society.

loss of individualism: dystopian literature often emphasizes the needs of society and conformity at the expense of individual freedom and expression.

survival: characters in dystopian literature are often left to their own means of survival due to oppressive or violent societies.

technological control: dystopian works often reflect advancements in science and technology that grow out of human control and become domineering and fear-inducing.

environmental destruction: dystopian stories are typically set in “apocalyptic” environments that reflect destruction of life and an uninhabitable landscape, usually as a result of war and weaponry.

government control: dystopian works often reflect extremes in terms of governmental rule, from oppressive totalitarianism to violent anarchy.

Here are some examples of central themes in dystopian literature: Examples of Central Themes in Dystopian Literatureĭystopian literature tends to feature common, central themes that allow writers to create alternate realities while imparting deep meaning to their readers.

Therefore, individual freedom of choice and action is eliminated. The sweetest and most heavenly of activities partake in some measure of violenceĪs a response, the authoritarian government in the novel uses behavioral techniques to “rehabilitate” aberrant behavior among the characters that don’t conform to societal rules. In addition, dystopian literature is often enjoyable for readers in its engaging and thought-provoking content.įor example, in his novel A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess creates a futuristic society in which there is a subculture of young characters that participate in intense and extreme acts of violence: Instead, dystopian works typically portray societies that are frightening and dehumanizing as a dark warning of the potentially dangerous effects of political and social structures on the future of humanity.ĭystopia is a significant literary device in its ability to educate readers and warn of the potentially dark consequences for humanity if changes are not made to present day societal and governmental constructs. Dystopian fiction is speculative, arising as a response to utopian literature which portrayed ideal societies based on rational thought, fairness, and human decency.

Utopia meaning in english