November 20, 2014
Deveraux
MWF 1:00
Dystopian Novels Dystopian novels are a very popular form of science fiction. These works basically are a society where equal rights don’t exist. “Dystopian literature is well known for its symbolism as well as the ability for authors to put in their political, religious, or other views into the literature without being too preachy” (Dayton). These books are so interesting and loved by all because they show us what a future could be if we take the wrong path.
Dystopia means literally “bad place.” These are usually imaginary worlds where “present tendencies are carried out to their intensely unpleasant culminations” (Harmon 159-160). It is usually set in the future and a place where few want to live. The authors that write dystopias usually want to warn readers about the possible dangers a future society could present if we stay on our current course or take a different one someday. The protagonists as well as others in these books usually experience unpleasant or terrifying consequences (Murfin 125). Dystopias are nightmare worlds where authoritarian or totalitarian governments are in charge. There often made of “repressive social control system, a lack or total absence of individual freedoms and expression, and a state of constant warfare or violence.” Many dystopias are combined with utopias to offer a metaphor of the different directions humanity can go (Good Reads). There are four different types of control the government could have in dystopian novels. Corporate Control is when a large corporation controls its people through advertising and the media. Societies can also be controlled by Bureaucratic control, when a government controls through a tangle of red tape and relentless regulations. People can also be controlled through technological control by using robots, computers or others scientific means. Lastly society can be controlled through Philosophical or religious control where rules are enforced