An Introduction English II Fall 2013

 Dystopia: “A society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding” (Dictionary.com, LLC, 2011).  Dystopian Literature exaggerates our modern societal problems and issues in order to change it. Every decade has its own social issues that influence artistic expression.

Some Dystopian Literature Through the Decades: William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies (1954), Lord of the Flies Kurt Vonnegut’s short story "Harrison Bergeron" (1961) "Harrison Bergeron" Ira Levin’s novel The Stepford Wives (1972)The Stepford Wives The Running ManThe Running Man by Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman (1982) Lois Lowry’s young adult novel The Giver (1993) The Giver Suzanne Collin’s young adult book The Hunger Games (2008). The Hunger Games

 Dystopian Literature stories often imagine the future darkly by exploring the consequences of war, environmental disasters, and creepy repressive governments.

A “Utopia” is a perfect society, while a “Dystopia” is a society in ruin

The problem is, when you strive for perfection, or a “perfect society,” you give up a lot.

 We wouldn’t have highs and lows, happiness and sorrow, good and bad, strife and resolutions to keep life interesting and fun.  If you were always status quo, what would be the point?  If nobody can ever be better than anyone else, will anyone be motivated to do more, or be more?

 Often, when a society strives for perfection, decisions get made by leaders that might have unintended consequences.  Think about this: What if nobody was ever allowed to feel sadness? What would you be giving up in order to make that happen?  A major pitfall of a utopian society in literature is that the unintended consequences dissolve into…

Why do we study dystopian literature?  To Answer some REALLY BIG QUESTIONS:  What are some of the problems with our society today?  What makes a place good or bad?  Is a Utopia possible?  Is a Dystopia avoidable or inevitable?  What aspect of our society might be revealed as bad through a dystopian critique.

By Kurt Vonnegut

About the Author Kurt Vonnegut, Born in Indianapolis, Indiana -Enlisted in the United States Army during World War II, while a college student at Cornell -Captured at the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 and was imprisoned in Dresden, Germany, as a POW -While there, he witnessed the fire bombing of Dresden, which destroyed the city

 “Harrison Bergeron," a short story  Cat’s Cradle  Breakfast of Champions Most of his works blend satire, dark humor, and science fiction. As a lifelong member of the American Civil Liberties Union, Vonnegut frequently addressed moral and political issues in his writing and in his public life.

Writing Activity: Think about these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” – Thomas Jefferson, from the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America

 Write what you think that means in your own words.  Why are these rights so important?  This has been called one of the best-known sentences in the English language. Why do you think this is such a famous sentence? The passage came to represent a moral standard to which the United States should strive.

 You should have a two-sided copy of the bill of rights. In your group, choose two of the amendments to the constitution of the united states. Why do you think these rights are important? How would your life be different if you didn’t have these rights?

How much control should the government have in the lives of citizens? What controls are appropriate? When does the role of government go too far?

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