UTOPIAN AND

DYSTOPIAN LITERATURE
UTOPIA*
Definition:
A perfect society
An ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political,
and moral aspects
Impractical
Opposite of a dystopia
TYPES OF UTOPIAN
SOCIETIES
Ecological Utopia-an organic way of life, in harmony
with nature.
Economic Utopia-an equal distribution of goods and
wealth. Citizens enjoy their work which is for the
common good, leaving them ample time for the
cultivation of arts and sciences.
Political Utopia-World Peace, Global Onesness. A world
without war.
TYPES OF UTOPIAN
SOCIETIES
Religious Utopia-Peace, Harmony, Understanding,
Enlightenment
Science and Technology Utopia-Set in the future. An
absence of death and suffering; changes in human nature
and the human condition.
BASIC POINTS OF
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
DYSTOPIA

Definition*:
An imaginary place or state in which the
condition of life is extremely bad, as from
deprivation, oppression, or terror.
“dys”=Greek for bad,
“topos” = Greek for place
Opposite of a utopia
DYSTOPIA

Often describes a society that starts off as a

utopia or thinks it is a utopia but turns into an
oppressive, miserable, dysfunctional state.

Can serve as a cautionary tale or warning to

modern day society
BASIC POINTS OF 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.
BASIC POINTS OF A
DYSTOPIA*
The constant surveillance by state police agencies
More advanced technologies
Back story of a disaster that justifies the dramatic
social changes
A protagonist that doubts the society
 UTOPIA VS. DYSTOPIA

Utopia Dystopia

Society Equality of all people Classes, caste system

View on future Optimistic, upbeat Pessimistic, downbeat

Form of government Democracy Regime

Equal and advancing

Education Propaganda
education
No money, equal Rich and poor people, no
Economy
distribution of goods middle class
Unfair and excessive
Legislation Fair system of punishment
punishment
Unfortunate, unlucky
Atmosphere Happy, harmonic families
people
VARIETIES OF DYSTOPIA
Society
Social Groups
Nature
Politics
Economics
SOCIETY
 Class System (Upper level Party members vs. Proles in
1984)
 People referred to as numbers rather than names People
are cloned so there are several of the same people, they
are uniform and lose individuality (Brave New World)
 People required to “not excel” and lose their
competence
SOCIAL GROUPS

Concept of Religion under attack (or the

twisting of religion such as in The
Handmaid’s Tale)
Concept of families no longer exists (BNW
and The Giver)
NATURE

Examples:
 Settings of dystopias are frequently urban (Decaying
London in 1984 and BNW)
 Separate all characters from any contact with nature
 People are conditioned to be afraid of nature (Babies
and Plants/Books in BNW)
POLITICS

Examples:
 Governing class is hedonistic or shallow
 Negative consequences, oppressive
 Pessimistic views of governing class – brutal, uncaring
(Big Brother in 1984)
ECONOMICS

Examples:
 Black markets for goods that are difficult to get (The
Hunger Games, Antique Shop in 1984)
 Governing class controls everything
 Big businesses have control and are corrupt
COMMON
CHARACTERISTICS OF A
DYSTOPIAN SOCIETY*
Information, independent thought, and freedom
are restricted.
Citizens may seem to be under constant
surveillance.
Citizens have a fear of the outside world.
Citizens conform to uniform expectations.
Individuality and disagreement are bad.
The society is an illusion of a perfect utopian
world.
THE DYSTOPIAN
PROTAGONIST*
Often feels trapped and is struggling to escape.
(Winston 1984, John BNW, Montag Fahrenheit,
Katniss HG)
• 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 recognize the negative aspects of
the dystopian world through his or her perspective.
 1984
Author: George Orwell
Historical Context Was a socialist writing against
Totalitarianism as seen in the
Nazi party and the Soviet
Union.
Written Scotland, June 1949
Period Late Modernism
Narrator Third-person Omniscient
Main Characters Winston Smith, The Dark
Haired Girl (Julia), O’Brien,
Mr. Charrington
Themes Totalitarianism/Communism,
Individual/Collective, Reality
Control, Sex, Love, and
Loyalty, Class Struggle
Symbols Big Brother
The Glass paperweight
The red-armed prole woman
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
Was writing as a reaction to
WWI and Fascism seen in the
Soviet Union and gaining
power in Europe.
England, 1932
Modernism
Third-person Omniscient
Bernard Marx, Helmholtz,
John (the Savage), Lenina,
Mustapha Mond, Linda
Dystopia and Totalitarianism,
Technology and Control, the
Cost of Happiness,
Industrialism/Consumption,
Individuality
Ford
Shakespeare
 BRAVE NEW WORLD

BNW is a dystopia—HUXLEY DOES NOT

WANT THE SOCIETY IN BNW TO
ACTUALLY HAPPEN
He is satirizing the British society he was living
in and criticizing their increasing emphasis on
logic and disregarding emotions.
This was a growing problem and idea seen in
Hitler Germany during WWII.
 CONTEXT FOR UTOPIA
Written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More during the reign of Henry VIII of
England.
The word “Utopia” can be translated from the Greek as “Good Place” or
“No Place,” depending on which Greek letters are used. This ambiguity
was intentional on More’s part.
Utopia is social commentary, meant to contrast Tudor England under
Henry VIII with the society of the Utopians.
Social commentary was much more dangerous in Tudor England than it is
today. This is one reason why More “frames” the narrative as a story he
heard from a traveler he met who had supposedly visited Utopia.
 UTOPIA AS SOCIAL
It isCOMMENTARY
generally agreed that More did
not mean to describe a “perfect”
society in Utopia, but to use the
“strange” traditions of the Utopians
to spark discussion and criticism of
real contemporary problems.
More may not have meant to depict
an ideal society; however, over the
years the word “utopia” without the
capital letter has come to mean “a
perfect society” with an added
connotation suggesting that such a
society is unrealistic.

A portrait of Thomas More by Hans Holbein

GROUP READINGS OF
SECTIONS OF UTOPIA
With your group, discuss the section of More’s Utopia that you were
assigned and be ready report back to the class about what you
learned.
What unique features of Utopian society were discussed in your
selection?
What surprised you about your selection?
What ideas about government and society did you find good or
admirable? Which did you find questionable or problematic? Why?
FROM UTOPIA TO
DYSTOPIA
Dystopia: “An imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and
often fearful lives.” (From The Meriam Webster Encyclopedia of
Literature)
In contrast to “utopia,” which can be translated “good place,”
“dystopia” is translated “bad place.”
Dystopian works of fiction often depict societies that claim to be
advanced, civilized, and near-perfect, but are instead deeply flawed.
Many protagonists in dystopian literature are individuals who begin
to question the problematic rules and assumptions that pervade their
societies.
 SUGGESTIONS FOR
APPROACHING A
DYSTOPIAN
Know NOVEL
that focus on setting and world-building is oftenAS A if not
as important
READER
more important than character.
 Most dystopian novels are exercises in asking “what if,” and authors use contemporary fears
and concerns to build the societies in which their stories take place. Notice how individuals
relate to their societies, and how the authors use current issues (such as the relationship
between religion and government, or advancements in genetics and biology).

Critic Thomas Moylan suggests that an experience reader of dystopian

literature (or science fiction in general) “moves through the text like a
traveler in a foreign culture or a detective seeking clues to unravel the
mystery at hand.”
 CONTEXT FOR BRAVE NEW
WORLD
Written by Aldous Huxley, published in 1932.
The title is taken from Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. The full quote is: “O
wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind
is! O brave new world! That has such people in it!”
While 1984, another very influential dystopian novel, critiques Communist
totalitarianism, Huxley is critiquing both Communism (many characters are
named after Communist leaders) and capitalism (especially its tendency for
consumerism) in this novel.
HENRY FORD AND THE
MODEL T

Henry Ford and his Model T, one of the first mass-produced

cars, are both quite important to Brave New World. The
calendar in the novel has Ford’s birth as its focal point, and the
production of the Model T is a religiously significant event.
THE SCIENCE OF BRAVE
NEW WORLD
Though the science in the novel seems to be quite sinister, Huxley
came from a family of scientists and believed very much in the
potential of modern medicine and science. So, if the science in the
novel seems to be frightening, ask yourself, is this a critique of
scientific progress in general, or is it a critique of the uses to which
science is being put?