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Utopia versus dystopia
Utopia versus dystopia
Comparing and contrasting utopian and dystopian societies
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A utopia is a society that is characterized by being one in which everything is perfect or ideal. The opposite of a utopia is a dystopia, a society where everyday life is less than perfect. These concepts are widely subjective for varying parties, as some may view the utopian society they live in as a dystopia and choose to leave to find true happiness for themselves. This is demonstrated in the novels, Into the Wild, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, and The Warmth of Other Suns. These three novels each demonstrate the same underlying themes. The main protagonists in each novel must deal with a realization that they are unhappy with the current state of their lives, they had to leave in search of a better life, and they must deal with the changes brought by there actions as it affects the state of the society they left. These various accounts serve to form a concept for the most ideal utopia within the three texts. The first common …show more content…
For example, Chris McCandless eventually made it to Alaska, but his death created strife for his loved ones who had no idea where he went. His interesting story intrigued many people across the nations, leaving people to wonder why he had ventured out to such a dangerous place. In the case of “The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas”, the effects of leaving the city were most likely insignificant. Instead of helping the child they chose to leave the city entirely and it is unclear whether they found an ideal place worthy of being called a utopia. In “the Warmth of Other Suns”, the protagonists moved to the North where conditions were significantly better, but it was in no way the utopia they hoped for. They were still faced acts of discrimination even though they lived in a better area. Even when they were surveyed about the state of their lives upon moving to the North, many African-Americans stated that they were enjoying new
Utopian literature is characterized by being a place where you are free and everyone is free. Most people in a utopia are happy. However, in the story of “The Pedestrian” and “The Lottery,” the rebel rebels against the system and is punished as a result. In both stories, it seems there is a utopia but as the rebels speak out it, it is revealed that the society is, instead, a dystopia.
In all aspects a utopian society is a society that is place to achieve perfection, and that is the society that both the “Uglies”, by Scott Westfield and “Harrison Bergeron”, by Kurt Vonnegut, was striving for. In both of these stories, the government had control over the people’s choices, freedoms, and their natural abilities. Yet both government strive for a perfect society, the methods they use to achieve this goal were different from each other.
The authors therefor saw the ‘utopian’ societies to be a trap for weak minded publics, and that once in place, such systems would be able to perpetuate indefinitely due to the efficiency at which they protect and propagate themselves. Through fear, diversion and sedation the utopia can maintain a strong grip on the people it encompasses before anyone realizes the sacrifices made. The popularity of these books does rule out the possibility of such a society coming into existence in the future, however. The state of people is not about to change, and their ignorance will continue regardless of the harshness of the wake up calls issued.
One could describe the novel "The Chrysalids" as a dystopian novel as apposed to utopian. The town in which David and the rest of shape-thinkers live is deffinatly not a utopia as well as the new land to which they move, Sealand.
The definition of Utopia is, “an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.” The rules and controls listed above and the many more that are in the book “Anthem” describe a society trying to become collective but in a utopian way. The purpose of these rules and controls is to keep the society collectivist. Fear is what runs this society. “.
One of the reasons, the so called Utopia fails to exist time and again when attempts are taken solely on the ground of equity is that, even the most idyllic society is somewhat built on the foundation of pain, sacrifice of the weak for the benefits of strong. From the analysis of Omelas and the contemporary North American societies it is clear that there is no Utopia.
The Utopia Reader defines the word utopia as “a nonexistent society described in detail and normally located in time and space.” (p.1) I would best define utopia as a fictional dream- paradise land where everything is peaceful, perfect and all runs smoothly. There is no crime disease, or pain. People are happy, kind and fair and have each other’s best
It’s been shown that “Nearly two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight or obese. Despite the attention of the health profession, the media, and the public, and mass educational campaigns about the benefits of healthier diets and increased physical activity, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has more than doubled over the past four decades” (Marks). These alarming statistics are increasing exponentially as individuals all over the globe continue to adopt unhealthy lifestyles that can lead to detrimental, and many times, irreversible, health issues. As a result, my discussion section chose to design our utopian society, named Troytopia, with the founding main vision of adhering to strict, healthy lifestyles for the betterment
More, Sir Thomas. Utopia: A New Translation, Backgrounds, Criticism. Ed. and trans. Robert M. Adams. Toronto: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1988.
Human sacrifice killings is a horrific but devastatingly true reality for some that come too close to the jaws of the Matamoros cult. People usually think of a utopia as an amusement park or just an amazing dream. The dictionary version is often defined as “any visionary system of political or social perfection” (“Utopia”). A dystopia is quite the opposite though. Think of your worst nightmare and that is exactly what a dystopia is. The professional definition is “a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding” (“Dystopia”). As it goes in 1984, the whole book is based on a dystopian society. Citizens have horrible lives which leave them dehumanized by the central government. They are also being under
...e of reality, seizes the pleasures in their lives and portrays a loss of freedom. Both their perfect worlds were full of lies and instead of shielding its inhabitants from evil they gave individuals no rights of their own. What appeared in the beginning as a perfect utopian society was actually an imperfect dystopian environment.
A lot of authors have expressed their views on utopia in their novels. Some have done it by creating their own perfect world, while others have chosen a different path. They have selected to voice their opinions in anti-utopian novels, or dystopia. An anti-utopia is simply the reverse of a utopian novel. The aim of both novels is ba...
Houyhnhnm’s Land is a society unique to Gulliver’s adventures because he encounters not only horses reigning over society, but also that these supreme animals think more rationally and intellectually than the Yahoos and even Gulliver himself. Gulliver’s stay in Houyhnhnm’s Land represents the “perfect”, but emotionless and detached conventions of utopia. According to Dr. Joyce Hertzler’s The History of Utopian Thought, utopians hold a false view of society so that when developing their “perfect” social order they think nothing of “…over-riding natural affections and balking natural desires and impulses” (304). Life is really nothing but a systematic social order if devoid of all emotion, causing one to question the “perfection” of utopia. If one looks beneath the surface of the Houyhnhnm’s culture, one will find that Gulliver’s final journey does not describe an immaculate society, but rather a visionary world, meaning a world that is purely speculative and out of reach.
Animal Farm is about a group of animals taking over the farm in the search for freedom and equality, but over time with wrong decisions made one animal takes control of all. Animal Farm is an example of a dystopia because it is based on five out of the nine traits dystopias have these traits are restrictions, fear, dehumanization, conformity, and control.