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Essays on dystopian literature
Essays on dystopian literature
Dystopian literature themes
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Dystopia is a term that defines a corrupt government that projects a false image. Thus, in a dystopian society, making belief and comfort that the society is proper to its followers. One good example of dystopian society is the Hunger Games. The terms that describe that dystopia towards the Hunger games are a “hierarchical society, fear of the outside world, penal system and a back story” (“Dystopia”). The Hunger Games that follows, the term that defines a dystopian fiction. One main belief that defines Dystopian society is the development into a “hierarchical society” (“Dystopia”). A hierarchical society plays a big part in the story that outline the whole plot. For example, Capitol is wealthier than all the districts. Some districts are more privileged than others. The Careers, being tributes from districts one to three, are prepared and trained for years before the games. However, this is illegal, but because of the support towards District two from the Capitol, they are let off, along with District one and District four, the other richer districts. In this cas...
Yamato, Jen. Burning Questions.“The Hunger Games and Real World Parallels: “Can kids all become Katniss Everdeen”. Movie Line. March 13, 2012. Web. May 04, 2012
Human life in the story is not valued in this setting either, since teenagers are thrown into arenas every year to kill each other just for sheer amusement of the government officials. The main city that is within the capitol conforms to the same thought process and and behavior, making them appear dehumanized to outsiders. The citizens of the capitol don’t question anything the government does, and worships them to the point of referring to them as ‘peace keepers.’ Going outside of the barrier is feared, as well as expressing any independent thought because of every district being under surveillance by the government. The whole concept of having the Hunger Games is to spread propaganda and to make light of the bigger districts and officials. They use technological control to add unnatural elements into the arena such as programmed wolf-dogs, genetically made death wasps, and fire blasts. The cameras watching every district constantly is also a form of this type of control. The society in this series is controlled by corrupt bureaucrats by forcing everyone to give to the government in order to have food, leaving many places poor and destitute. Adolescents have to risk their lives just to keep authorities happy. And anyone who tries to speak against what is happening, let alone tries to revolt, gets killed on the
The Hunger Games and Fahrenheit 451 are both great examples of dystopian fiction. A dystopia is a fictional world that takes place in the future that is supposed to be perceived as a perfect society, but it’s actually the opposite. Other things that a dystopian society might display are citizens both living in a dehumanized state and feeling like they’re constantly watched by a higher power. Dystopias are places where society is backwards or unfair, and they are usually are controlled by the government, technology, or a particular religion. The Hunger Games and Fahrenheit 451 are both in the dystopian fiction genre because the societies within them show the traits of a dystopia. Both of them also have characters that go against the flow of the normal world.
The story of The Hunger Games is an intense depiction of a totalitarianism society that is reigned by the Capitol, whom of which has complete political control over the twelve districts that are all located in Panem. Those who live in the twelve districts must undergo the possibility of entering into the infamous Hunger Games that are intended to remind and represent the Capitol’s authority over the powerless districts. Suzanne Collin’s novel and Gary Ross’s film of The Hunger Games have several things in common but also a few differences as well.
A dystopia, the darkest form of government, a utopia gone wrong, a craving for power, struggling for fewer rules. Dystopia is factual, the worst possible form of government. Its the struggle to be so perfect that it fails. There are typically two types of dystopias, first a monarchy. A monarchy is a group of people controlled by a king or queen, and they make every last decision.
The Hunger Games take place in Panem, a dystopian society that is divided into twelve districts and ruled by the Capitol, a totalitarian power. The people of the districts are suppressed; they have no rights and no freedom of speech. In Dystopian Fiction for Young Adults, literary criticism by Patrick Smith, he contributes to the idea of a dystopian society saying “dystopias feature totalitarian regimes and shattered economies, global war, climate change, the lack of meaningful personal relationships and lost identities, and the underdog fighting against near-impossible odds. All current societies, dystopian novels suggest, are just one cataclysmic event away from collapse.” This accurately describes the occurrences in Panem.
To begin, when analyzing the definition, one could depict the true meaning of dystopia and find out how to identify it. “a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression,disease, and overcrowding..” (“dystopia”). Dystopia is a genre created on the base of human misery; essentially it is a nightmare that has become the characters’ unfortunate reality. Many prolific authors create books like
A dystopian society can be defined as “a society characterized by human misery”. 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury both demonstrate dystopian societies. However, that does not mean they do not their differences. In each society the government has different ways of controlling and limiting its citizens for doing only what they want them to do. In 1984, violators are brainwashed into loving and following Big Brother as if they never knew the truth and return back to their everyday lives. Fahrenheit 451 also punishes violators in a way that makes them regret and scared to ever do it again instead of making them forget.
Mahatma Gandhi once said “Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent then the one derived from fear of punishment.” Power is something that a lot of people tend to misuse. Power can be great at times, but most the time it can make bad things happen. People think just because they have the power to do something means they should do it, when really that is not the case. In the movie “The Hunger Games” power is used to abuse everyone and everything around.
In The Hunger Games, the inequality between the rich and the poor is the biggest theme presented in the book. Throughout the book, Katniss mentions that starvation is common in District 12, and she has often gone hunting illegally in the woods for food for her family. This is an example of how the rich and the poor are separated. Wealth is only centralized in the hands of the rich, while the poor are left to starve, leaving disparity. The best examples of the inequality between the rich and the poor is seen in the tessera system, and the way the tributes are selected for the games. In the novel, they have what is called “the reaping”, which is the lottery at which they choose the tributes for the games. It is said in the book that the poor is more likely to be picked than the rich are. In the tessera system, children
Today’s young adults are reading a variety of fictional novels for entertainment. One of the more popular genres is categorized as dystopian literature. Dystopian literature generally focuses on government control and oppression
With a massive marketing campaign, it’s no wonder The Hunger Games quickly became a world-wide sensation. But, I believe its popularity isn’t due to marketing alone. In The Hunger Games we find important, if overly-dramatic, depictions of social conditions that weigh on the minds of young people today: an uneven distribution of wealth leading to massive and ever-growing class stratification; power in the hands of a few elite members; social control through widespread propaganda; and fierce competition among social classes for resources. Films like The Hunger Games are helpful for young people by teaching them a new way to see the world, through the lens of social theories such as Karl Marx’s Conflict Theory.
In a dystopian society, the government watches and dictates everything. It is the opposite of a perfect world in the sense that careers and social status are pre-destined. The government of this society does everything in its power to make the citizens believe that this is the most ideal place to live. The word “dystopia” ultimately roots back to the Greek word “dys” meaning bad and “topos” meaning place (www.merriam-webster.com). Citizens in a dystopian society rarely question their government. Many citizens are brainwashed and others are just too frightened to speak out against injustices evident in their society. The Hunger Games and The Giver are perfect examples of dystopian texts d...
In a not-too-distant, some 74 years, into the future the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 13 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games; these children are referred to as tributes (Collins, 2008). The Games are meant to be viewed as entertainment, but every citizen knows their purpose, as brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts. The televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eradicate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. The main character throughout the series is a 16-year-old girl from District 12 named Katniss Everdeen.
Dystopia is a dehumanized society, where its society is presented as utopia. However, the society has been misguided towards a corrupted state. The Greek prefix ‘dys’ is defined as ‘ill’ or ‘bad.’ Therefore, “Dystopia” is known as a “bad community,” where it has developed into a place filled with darkness and poverty. Those who were part of this society were known as the people who lived under the shadow of a totalitarian government.