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Literature
Dystopian Literature
A subgenre of science fiction
Some famous dystopian movies and
books are
1984
Fahrenheit 451
Brave New World
Player Piano
The Matrix
Minority Report
Wall-E
V for Vendetta
What is a dystopia?
The vision of a society that is the
opposite of utopia
A dystopian society is one where life is
miserable
The society is full of poverty,
oppression, violence, disease, and/or
pollution
Dystopian Society
Severe social restrictions on
characters lives
Social classes are strictly defined and
enforced
The government wants people to
conform, not to excel
Nature in a Dystopia
Characters are isolated from contact
with the natural world
Dystopias are commonly urban and
generally avoid nature
Politics in a Dystopia
Common political systems in a dystopia
are anarchism, bureaucracy, socialism,
communism, chaos, excessive
capitalism, fascism, totalitarianism,
and dictatorships.
Why are these the most common types
of government in a dystopia?
Politics in a Dystopia
Political system is flawed in some way
Portrayed as oppressive
Protagonist often has pessimistic
views of the ruling class or government
and forms or joins a resistance group