SÉQUENCE 1 : UTOPIES ET DYSTOPIES

SYNTHÈSE

1. Dystopia
This chapter introduced you to the world of dystopia. You began by understanding the common
elements of a dystopia, or in other words, what makes something a dystopia.
Next, you entered the world of dystopia through George Orwell’s iconic novel, 1984. You
discovered how this novel has had a lasting impact on society and culture, such as the
invention of the word “Orwellian”.
Then, you studied the concerns about a surveillance society and the increasing use of CCTV
and compared them to the novel’s Big Brother. You studied the civil rights and privacy
protection organization, Big Brother Watch, which takes its name from Orwell’s novel. You also
discovered the story of the American whistleblower, Edward Snowden, and saw how it relates
to the novel.
Art also plays a powerful role in culture and society and you discovered artists such as Banksy
and studied their interpretations of dystopia.
To further your understanding, you learnt about the power of words through the Newspeak of
1984 and the world of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, in which books are banned.
You studied how the Cold War between the USA and the USSR was a source of inspiration
for dystopian fiction.
Finally, you saw how Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World imagined a dystopia with genetic
engineering and people controlled by a drug called soma. You reflected on what could be
considered today’s soma.

2. Real Life Dystopia

In this chapter, you studied how dystopian fiction is linked to the real world and particularly the
dystopian symbols used during protests.
To begin, you learnt about Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale. You studied how
protestors are using the handmaid’s costume of a red cloak and white bonnet in protests and
why.
You studied how the American artist Barbara Kruger links to Atwood’s novel.
Next, you learnt about the real-life story behind the book Escape from Camp 14, an example
of a modern-day dystopia.
Then, you studied the link between CCTV and Big Brother more in depth.
Finally, you discovered the graphic novel V for Vendetta and learnt about how the symbol of a
Guy Fawkes mask is being used in protests worldwide. You also learnt about the historical
figure of Guy Fawkes: who he was, what he did and why he is being used as a symbol and
what this symbol represents. You also saw how the American artist Shepard Fairey has used
the Guy Fawkes mask symbol in his work.

CNED – PREMIERE – LLCE ANGLAIS

 3. Young Adult Dystopian Fiction
This chapter focused on young adult dystopian fiction, a genre that is increasing in popularity
and that has spawned numerous hit films.
You began by studying the wildly popular book series The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins,
as well as the film adaptation, and seeing what this dystopian world is like.
Next, you saw the reasons why dystopian stories are so popular, especially with teenagers.
You discovered which elements of dystopias teenagers especially relate to.
Then, you learnt about the American author Philip K. Dick. Although his short stories and
novels aren’t as widely known, they have been adapted into blockbuster Hollywood films, such
as Bladerunner and Minority Report.
Finally, you studied three other popular young adult dystopian books and films: Divergent,
Matched and Ready Player One.

4. Utopia
To finish this unit, you learnt about the opposite of dystopia: utopia.
To begin you studied the work of the man who invented the word utopia: Thomas More. His
novel Utopia imagines what a utopian society would be like.
Next, you discovered the history of utopian communities in the United States, such as the
hippie commune Twin Oaks. You learnt why America has been the location of so many utopian
experiments.
Then, you learnt about James Hilton’s classic novel Lost Horizon.
The novel The Giver, by Lois Lowry is considered both a utopia and a dystopia. You learnt
about the book and decided into which category it fits.
Finally, you learnt about the unfinished novel The New Atlantis by Francis Bacon. You saw
how Walt Disney envisaged a utopian community. And you learnt about how people are trying
to protect the planet through ecotopia and earthships.

CNED – PREMIERE – LLCE ANGLAIS