Total Recall a Dyostopian Narrative
C. Keith
“Total Recall the Ultimate Dystopian Narrative”
Total Recall is a movie based on Philip K. Dick’s story, “We Can Remember it for You Wholesale,” Total Recall is a 1990 dystopian movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, directed by Paul Verhoeven. In order to truly discuss dystopia, we must first define utopia and then in turn dystopia. A utopia is a place, or condition that is ideally perfect in all respects. This applies to its laws, customs, practices, and living conditions. A dystopia by contrast is an anti-utopia, a place in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society is maintained through bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control. Dystopias, tend to exaggerate worst-case scenarios, make a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or political system. According to Merriman-Webster’s Online dictionary, Dystopian by defininition is “ an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives “. Wikipedia defines dystopia, as “is the vision of a society that is the opposite of utopia. A dystopian society is one in which the conditions of life are miserable, characterized by human misery, poverty, oppression, violence, disease, and/or pollution”. Both states are fictional states. Dystopian literature tends to be futuristic and imagined. Like utopian writing, there is often a prescriptive element—Dystopian fictions almost always offer some kind of warning (often implicit) of what will happen should present trends continue. In this essay I will attempt to prove that Total Recall is the ultimate dystopian narrative by using its definition, and demonstrating by example it’s effects on it’s societal statement, that we all should make extreme efforts to save the earth and it’s resources. Total Recall stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as an everyday man, Douglas Quaid, who craves something different in his life. He keeps on having realistic dreams about Mars and decides to visit
“Total Recall the Ultimate Dystopian Narrative”
Total Recall is a movie based on Philip K. Dick’s story, “We Can Remember it for You Wholesale,” Total Recall is a 1990 dystopian movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, directed by Paul Verhoeven. In order to truly discuss dystopia, we must first define utopia and then in turn dystopia. A utopia is a place, or condition that is ideally perfect in all respects. This applies to its laws, customs, practices, and living conditions. A dystopia by contrast is an anti-utopia, a place in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society is maintained through bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control. Dystopias, tend to exaggerate worst-case scenarios, make a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or political system. According to Merriman-Webster’s Online dictionary, Dystopian by defininition is “ an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives “. Wikipedia defines dystopia, as “is the vision of a society that is the opposite of utopia. A dystopian society is one in which the conditions of life are miserable, characterized by human misery, poverty, oppression, violence, disease, and/or pollution”. Both states are fictional states. Dystopian literature tends to be futuristic and imagined. Like utopian writing, there is often a prescriptive element—Dystopian fictions almost always offer some kind of warning (often implicit) of what will happen should present trends continue. In this essay I will attempt to prove that Total Recall is the ultimate dystopian narrative by using its definition, and demonstrating by example it’s effects on it’s societal statement, that we all should make extreme efforts to save the earth and it’s resources. Total Recall stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as an everyday man, Douglas Quaid, who craves something different in his life. He keeps on having realistic dreams about Mars and decides to visit