Utopia vs. Dystopia

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Utopia vs. Dystopia
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Utopia

• Definition
• A perfect society
• An ideally perfect place, especially in its
  social, political, and moral aspects
• Opposite of a dystopia

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Dystopia

• Definition
• An imaginary place or state in which the
  condition of life is extremely bad, as from
  deprivation, oppression, or terror.
• dysGreek for bad,
• topos Greek for place
• Opposite of a utopia

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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

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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.

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The 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 recognize the negative
  aspects of the dystopian world through his or her
  perspective.

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Examples of Dystopian Literature

• The Hunger Games Trilogy
• The Maze Runner Series
• The Matched Trilogy
• Divergent
• Others?