The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

While there are many differences between the societies portrayed in

dystopic literature, they still have the common bond of lacking the

fundamental freedoms required for a properly operated society to

exist. This cannot be truer for The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. These novels prove that the

individual's freedom are sacrificed in dystopic societies when the

government controls the knowledge, individuality and relationships of

each person in order for there to be stability in the society.

Dystopia is shown in each of the novels through: the use of conflict

demonstrating the authority over knowledge, the use of theme to

establish the lack of identity and the use of character to show the

control of knowledge.

It is evident in both novels that a dystopic society exists through

the authors' use of conflict to illustrate the control of knowledge of

the past and present in order for there to be stability. For example,

in The Handmaid's Tale, all Handmaids are forbidden from reading or

writing, this is an attempt by the leaders of the society to control

the knowledge their citizens can utilize. This control extends over

any form of written word, and if the rules are disobeyed, there are

consequences: "Scrabble!. This was once the game of old women, old

men to be played in retirement villas when there was nothing good on

television. Now it's forbidden, for us. Now it's dangerous. Now it's

indecent . Now it's desirable" (Atwood 174). In this society, Scrabble

is considered "forbidden" because of what it represents -- freedom of

expression. The consequences the leaders have imposed create a

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...ge, individuality and

relationships of each person in order for there to be stability in the

society. Through the use of conflict, dystopia is established in both

of the novels using the control of knowledge of the past and present

in the society in order for stability. In addition, through the use of

theme, dystopia is established using the lack of identity of each

member of the society in order for stability to be in the society.

Finally, through the use of character, dystopia is established through

the control of the relationships in each member of the societies. In

order for there to be stability in a society there must be sacrifices

made, especially in a society that is considered dystopic.

Works Cited

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Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. U.S.A: Seal Books, 1986.

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Hammersmith, London: Flamingo, 1994.