Open Ended Q
What is a dystopia?
What is: an imagined society that is often struggling; exists to emphasize issues that actually plague our current society
Dystopian literature often magnifies the consequences of this, where characters are given incorrect information, leading to changed behaviors and beliefs within the society.
What is the impact of misinformation in dystopian worlds?
Who coined the concept of a utopia? When was this?
Thomas More in 1516 when he wrote a book about a perfect fictional island. Book was titled Utopia.
Written in 1949, this novel by George Orwell describes a province controlled by a political regime known as the Party, magnifying disturbing trends of surveillance and government control.
What is 1984?
What word could you replace distortion with and not alter the meaning?
What is: twist, unrealistic change, alteration,
What is a utopia? PS You can't say opposite of dystopia.
What is: an imagined perfect world
Dystopian literature often magnifies the perils of this, where characters are given incorrect information and isolated from verification.
What is misinformation?
PART A: Which of the following identifies the author's main claim in the text?
A. Dystopian fiction exaggerates existing problems in our reality to show readers what could happen if society continues down a certain path.
B. Both utopian and dystopian fiction are used to warn readers about the risks of attempting to alter a society in any way.
C. While dystopian fiction is entertaining to read, it doesn't reflect realistic concerns with our current society, or a possible future society.
D. Both Utopian and dystopian fiction are used to distort reality to the point in which it is no longer recognizable or realistic.
What is A
Aldous Huxley's Brave New World explores the possibilities of progress in this area, examining what happens when too many natural obstacles are removed or when genetic engineering eliminates flaws.
What is health and genetics?
What word could you use in place of compulsion and keep the intended meaning?
addiction, force of habit, obligation, pressure, etc.
How does the description of the 1900s in paragraphs 5-6 help us understand the qualities of dystopian literature?
Commentary on the progression of society--expressing worries that the progression could go awry.
Does the society need to be perfect?
The lack of this in dystopian literature is often enforced through government, social codes, or corporations, showcasing the absence of choice and individuality.
What is individuality?
PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. "Walking through carnivals, we love to laugh at the versions of ourselves that appear in the funhouse mirror." (Paragraph 1)
B. "The perfection that More, and other philosophers who wrote about utopias, imagined was never intended to be real." (Paragraph 3)
C. "Dystopian authors argued that the pursuit of perfection will inevitably lead not to 'no place' but to a 'bad place', because of flaws within the system." (Paragraph 6)
D. "Women are forced to wear outfits that correspond to their class, and no one is given any choice. In some dystopias, the lack of choice is enforced by the government." (Paragraph 11)
What is C
This dystopian novel, written by Aldous Huxley, explores a society where human life is highly controlled, and individuals are conditioned for specific roles in a caste system.
What is Brave New World?
If we know that surveillance is "the careful and continuous watching of a person or group," what word might be the opposite of this?
Ignorance, neglect, carelessness, etc.
How does the author use the analogy of "funhouse mirrors" to help readers understand dystopian fiction?
Comparison connects visual distortion to the distortion of societies in texts.
George Orwell's 1984 explores the negative effects of this societal control, magnifying how people act differently when they believe they are constantly being observed.
What is surveillance?
In the context of the text, what are the costs and benefits of technology? Why do you think dystopian fiction focuses on the costs of technology?
Costs: technology becomes a compulsion, surveillance
Benefit: leads to new developments/ advancements
Focuses on costs: reflect on the way in which society is using it, and how it could use it for unintended, negative purposes
Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is known for portraying a society with a lack of this, as women are forced to wear outfits that correspond to their social status with no choice.
What is individuality?
What role does the term "totalitarian" play in the context of dystopian governments, as explained by the author?
absolute and total control by the state
What are some common themes & stylistic choices of dystopian novels/ stories?
magnify disturbing trends, exhibit characters that are unaware of what could be different, governmental control, extreme rules, downsides of human invention pertaining to genetics and science, misinformation, lack of individuality
Aldous Huxley's Brave New World examines the downsides of human intervention in this area, exploring the consequences of removing natural obstacles and genetic engineering.
What is health and genetics?
Why does the author reference both 1984 and Brave New World? How do these references support their claim(s)?
What is: the author references both 1984 and Brave New World in order to demonstrate/ provide examples of societies that have been created in order to show issues, concerns, worries, anxieties in the present day societies
This 1997 movie explores the possibilities of progress in health and genetics research, similar to Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.
What is Gattaca?
Inference: How might a dystopian story/ novel be an allegory? Can you give me an example?
Hint: We read a dystopian novel this semester, which was in fact an allegory.
Allegories are simple stories that represent something more complex. A dystopian novel might share a simple story of animals living on a farm, but it actually shows the sick and twisted ways governmental corruption can affect individuals and a community.