Stereotypes Of Dystopian Literature

Through their setting, characterisation and plot development, Vaughn’s Amaryllis and Mastroianni’s Jordon’s Waterhammer conform to the stereotypical layout associated with Dystopian Literature.
Introduction:

Imagine living in a world where you are disliked or frowned upon, not because you are a criminal, but because you are merely different. Imagine a life where everything you think or do is controlled by the government and going against the group norms is punished by torture, isolation or death. There is no freedom, no independence and no individuality. And envision that the society does everything in its power to make you believe that this is the ideal living conditions for you.
These are the stereotypical ideas derived to create a storyline
Vaughn has clearly portrayed this through Marie whose thoughts and interaction with the other characters inform the reader of her self-doubting personality. In the starting scene of Amaryllis, Marie feels trapped and struggles with her place in the society. This is clearly shown when she does not question the authorities when she is wrongfully blamed. “Some days felt like nothing I did would ever be enough. I’d always be too far one way or the other over the line of “just right”. There is an injustice towards Marie as the authorities perceive her to be “filthy” due to her mother’s wrong doings in the past. Similarly, Mastroianni uses a similar technique to stay within the boundaries of a typical dystopian character. Jordon’s Waterhammer starts off with Jordon, an ore loader who is just like his fellow miners, an emotionless being who is not valued by the society. This is clearly evident
However, along the journey, the characters develop to question the existing social and political system due to social influences. Amaryllis ends with Marie questioning the wrong accusations made by members of the society against her. She orders an audit to take place when she is yet again wrongfully blamed to eb smuggling in more fish than she needs. The vast change in the character is obvious when at the start, Marie thought “she didn’t deserved to be treated equal” and that “shes tired of fighting all the time.” In the end, the same Marie asks her friends to hold her back if she looked like I was going to punch him.In Jordon’s Waterhammer, the readers notices the character development when they learn about Jordon’s plans to escape the underground society and fight the authorities to reach the land on the surface. He finally realsise that “he was a valuable as the ore he drilled.”A comparison of the protagonist’s thoughts and actions at the start and at the end of the short story illustrate their vast change in characteristics which are closely associated with the ones in dystopian