Characteristics of a Dystopian World
What is worshipped by the people of the society?
A leader or concept.
the power to direct, manage, or limit people or situations.
What is a protagonist?
The main character.
Define: flawed
having a weakness, mistake, or problem; not perfect
Who is under constant surveillance?
The people.
A utopia is a place that is ideally perfect in relation to politics, laws, customs, and conditions. However, sometimes in striving for perfection they create injustice and suffering (a dystopia). Therefore, they criticise society and how people wanting to control everything can have the opposite effect.
Define: apocalyptic
describing massive destruction or the end of the world
How does the protagonist feel?
trapped and is struggling to escape
Define: illusion
something that appears real but is actually false or misleading
How do people feel about the outside world?
They fear it.
Name all THREE things that are restricted in a dystopian world.
information
independent thought
freedom
Define: oppression
cruel or unfair treatment by those in power
What is the protagonist questioning?
the existing social and political systems
Define: desolate
empty, lonely, or in ruins
What is propaganda?
information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a particular cause, doctrine, or point of view.
Why do dystopian worlds make individuality and fighting back a bad thing?
Dystopian worlds are built around controlling society - individuality and fighting back would disruptive oppressing and control.
Define: dissent
to openly disagree with an idea, rule, or authority
Why would the protagonist feel something is wrong in their society?
Because it is a dystopia and they realise that it is causing them/ others problems due to its systems, control and oppression.
Define: speculative
based on guessing or imagining what might happen, rather than on proven facts
What could be an example of an uniform expectation people must conform to in a dystopian world?
Many examples (e.g. mandatory government news watching, mandatory body camera wearing etc.)
Why would a dystopian world benefit from the natural world being banished or distrusted?
Define: authoritarian
having strict control and expecting people to obey without question
How does the audience connect with the protagonist?
The protagonist helps the audience to recognise the negative aspects of the dystopian world through his or her perspective
Define: totalitarian
a system where the government has total control over people’s lives, with little or no freedom
What is a dehumanised state?
Dehumanisation involves seeing certain groups as inhuman or subhuman, so undeserving of equal treatment.
Therefore, a dehumanised state is one where people are not treated as human beings often meaning they are not valued as individuals, given limited rights or treated as less than others.