Utopia, Dystopia
Utopia and Dystopia
Literature (keywords):
• Utopian literature:
• A fictional text dealing with an ideal (future) society. • Dystopian literature:
• A fictional text dealing with a future society in which human freedom is severely limited. A dystopia often criticizes our present-day society by exposing trends and tendencies towards totalitarian control.
Brave New World- background knowledge
• Written in 1931
• Set in distant future
Generally known elements:
• Total control of society by in-vitro fertilization (künstliche Befruchtung)
• Artificial laboratory breeding, „cloning“ of work force and conditioning
• Society strictly devided into classes (Alpha, beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon)
• Alphas constituting ruling class, Epsilon constituting a slave-like work force
• Natural reproduction outlawed (verboten)
• Sex is pure entertainment
• Monogamy regarded as unnatural and immoral
• People kept happy by a drug called Soma
• Religion replaced by a strong belief in technology and science
Extrapolation (Hochrechnung) of development of 20th century society in Brave New World
• Belief in science, technology and progress
• Misuse of science
• Political and economic control and manipulation
• Mass production and mass consumption
• Decline of religion and values
• Decline of eductional standards
• Drugs
• Mass entertainment
• sensationalism
Wörter Decline: ablehnen//extrapolation: Hochrechnung (hier: the writer criticizes// outlaw:verbieten// in- vitro fertilization: künstliche Befruchtung// sensationalism: Sensationsgier// severely: streng// promiscuity: Freizügigkeit// indoctrination: ideologischer Drill// sb. Envies: jemand beneidet// vaccination: Schutzimpfung
Aldous Huxley: Brave New World
• Society:
•
Motto: community, identity, stability
• Hierarchical structure:
Alphas Betas
Gammas Delta
Epsilons
Intellectual and political leadership Qualified specialists
Skilled workers Workers
Slave-like unskilled
Literature (keywords):
• Utopian literature:
• A fictional text dealing with an ideal (future) society. • Dystopian literature:
• A fictional text dealing with a future society in which human freedom is severely limited. A dystopia often criticizes our present-day society by exposing trends and tendencies towards totalitarian control.
Brave New World- background knowledge
• Written in 1931
• Set in distant future
Generally known elements:
• Total control of society by in-vitro fertilization (künstliche Befruchtung)
• Artificial laboratory breeding, „cloning“ of work force and conditioning
• Society strictly devided into classes (Alpha, beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon)
• Alphas constituting ruling class, Epsilon constituting a slave-like work force
• Natural reproduction outlawed (verboten)
• Sex is pure entertainment
• Monogamy regarded as unnatural and immoral
• People kept happy by a drug called Soma
• Religion replaced by a strong belief in technology and science
Extrapolation (Hochrechnung) of development of 20th century society in Brave New World
• Belief in science, technology and progress
• Misuse of science
• Political and economic control and manipulation
• Mass production and mass consumption
• Decline of religion and values
• Decline of eductional standards
• Drugs
• Mass entertainment
• sensationalism
Wörter Decline: ablehnen//extrapolation: Hochrechnung (hier: the writer criticizes// outlaw:verbieten// in- vitro fertilization: künstliche Befruchtung// sensationalism: Sensationsgier// severely: streng// promiscuity: Freizügigkeit// indoctrination: ideologischer Drill// sb. Envies: jemand beneidet// vaccination: Schutzimpfung
Aldous Huxley: Brave New World
• Society:
•
Motto: community, identity, stability
• Hierarchical structure:
Alphas Betas
Gammas Delta
Epsilons
Intellectual and political leadership Qualified specialists
Skilled workers Workers
Slave-like unskilled