Dystopia Essay: 1984 and Harrison Bergeron
Year 11, English Extension Essay ( 2 CORE texts and 1 RELATED text)
What ideas do you see linking the texts you have studied through your exploration of Utopias and Dystopias.
The novels Utopia by Thomas More and 1984 by George Orwell and short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut explore the Utopic and Dystopic genre through the structure and regulations of their societies. In Utopia, More provides us with a contemporary understanding of society and human nature, with an indepth study of morals, values and beliefs in England around the Renaissance Era. 1984 was published while the Second World War was fresh in people’s minds, creating fears amongst society with Orwell emphasizing the possibility of such a dehumanised and controlled world if people did not exercise vigilence. Harrison Bergeron is a futuristic science fiction short story which exagerates the extent of authority and its abilities to control society, written during the time of the Cold War. Each text presents a society which reflects the growing concerns of the time and questions the nature of the individual within the society. The themes of freedom and governmental authority are explored which reinforce the utopic and dystopic views through the nature of the societies.
In the texts, the key idea of freedom is explored where all people should be freely entitiled to this right. However, through the limitations and restrictions of the societies, we see that the people are unable to do as they please and exercise free will. Although the novel Utopia aims at presenting a supposedly ideal and perfect world, the concern of freedom is neglected. Through the juxtapostion of the two sections of the novel, Book 1 and Book 2, More highlights the concerns of his time where European rule hindered the freedom of the people. While More aims to convey a utopia, the regimented and orderly lifestyle of Utopians emphasize the loss of freedom. “They go to bed at 8 p.m., and sleep for eight hours.” This quote
What ideas do you see linking the texts you have studied through your exploration of Utopias and Dystopias.
The novels Utopia by Thomas More and 1984 by George Orwell and short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut explore the Utopic and Dystopic genre through the structure and regulations of their societies. In Utopia, More provides us with a contemporary understanding of society and human nature, with an indepth study of morals, values and beliefs in England around the Renaissance Era. 1984 was published while the Second World War was fresh in people’s minds, creating fears amongst society with Orwell emphasizing the possibility of such a dehumanised and controlled world if people did not exercise vigilence. Harrison Bergeron is a futuristic science fiction short story which exagerates the extent of authority and its abilities to control society, written during the time of the Cold War. Each text presents a society which reflects the growing concerns of the time and questions the nature of the individual within the society. The themes of freedom and governmental authority are explored which reinforce the utopic and dystopic views through the nature of the societies.
In the texts, the key idea of freedom is explored where all people should be freely entitiled to this right. However, through the limitations and restrictions of the societies, we see that the people are unable to do as they please and exercise free will. Although the novel Utopia aims at presenting a supposedly ideal and perfect world, the concern of freedom is neglected. Through the juxtapostion of the two sections of the novel, Book 1 and Book 2, More highlights the concerns of his time where European rule hindered the freedom of the people. While More aims to convey a utopia, the regimented and orderly lifestyle of Utopians emphasize the loss of freedom. “They go to bed at 8 p.m., and sleep for eight hours.” This quote