Utopia & Dystopia

Utopia A utopia is a community or society possessing highly desirable or near perfect qualities. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt to create an ideal society, and imagined societies portrayed in fiction.

Utopia in Literature Utopia is a common theme in speculative fiction or science fiction. It often explores ways that real-world problems could be fixed by making changes in the way that society is structured. Examples: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift Island by Aldous Huxley

Dystopia A dystopia is a community or society that is undesirable or frightening (an anti-utopia). Dystopias are often characterized by dehumanization, totalitarian governments, environmental disaster, or other characteristics associated with a cataclysmic decline in society. Dystopian societies in fiction are usually set in a futuristic world.

Dystopia in Literature Dystopian societies are often used to draw attention to real-world issues regarding society, environment, politics, economics, religion, psychology, ethics, science, and/or technology, which--if left unchecked--could potentially lead to such a dystopia-like condition. Examples: 1984 by George Orwell Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

What They Have in Common Both utopian and dystopian literature are typically used to criticize, satirize, or speculate on real-world problems and their potential solutions. Oftentimes, a dystopia is (ironically) the result of a society’s attempts to create a perfect society, as in “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut.

Kurt Vonnegut American author who published fourteen novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of non-fiction over the course of 50 years. Known for his dark satire, and of being a vocal critic of American society. Most famous for writing Slaughterhouse-Five. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05bjtSKo0O w

What is Your Utopia? In at least 3 paragraphs (3-4 sentences each), describe your “perfect place” in as much detail as you can, making sure you address the following points: Are there leaders in your utopia or is it a leaderless society? Why is it best to have (or not have) leaders? IF there are leaders in your society: Are you a leader or a follower in your society? If you are a leader, how will you lead? If you are a follower, who will you follow and how? IF your society is leaderless: How will order be maintained? How will you and other members of the society contribute to the good of the whole?