dystopia america

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The boundaries of race and gender and religion fell away as class became the most important delineator in society. (Hagen Landry 2)
The perfect world is one without a flaw on the face of society, no corruption in politics, and no discrepancies of the people of that world, otherwise known as a utopia. However these types of societies often fall. A dystopia often has the illusion of a perfect society (Dystopia) but an overpowering governing body often leads and masks the corruptness by controlling and brainwashing the members of the society into believing that everything is the way it is supposed to be and there are absolutely no flaws. On the forth of February this year, Bethany Hagen released her debut novel Landry Park, it just so happens to be about dystopian America.
Bethany Hagen was born twenty-six years ago in Kansas City, Kansas. (Hagen Personal) Not only was she born in Kansas City but she also grew up there. (Hagen Landry cover) Hagen became a librarian and she loves being able to take a book off the shelf that looks like a good read whenever she feels like it. She has come across many story ideas in this manner. There is something magical about spending your time in a building with your favorite books,” Hagen responded during a personal interview. (Hagen Personal) At a young age, Mrs. Hagen was diagnosed with narcolepsy; she says this hinders her writing at times. An interesting activity that Hagen shared she enjoys is Kenpō. Kenpō is one of many forms of martial arts. Hagen stated that she had a black belt in this sport. (Hagen Personal)
One might ask Bethany Hagen, what her inspiration was behind such a unique novel her first response took her back to her childhood. Hagen grew up reading Jane Auste...

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...ss. (Hagen Landry 46) Two hundred years before Landry Park took place, there was a civil war. The victors of this war had the choice of prime pieces of land to build large and fancy estates. These winners were the Uprisen. (Hagen Personal) Winning the war is what also granted the Gentry the power to rule the country. The Gentry hid how they treated the lower class from the rest of the society and was the cause of the shift from a utopian society to a dystopian society.
The political issues of Landry Park reside with the Gentry and their method of governing. As previously stated, the Gentry pass the governing control through each family’s eldest heir. This heir has absolutely no choice on whether or not to accept this position. At eighteen the heir, or debutante, is eligible for marriage and must be married before the age of twenty one. (Hagen Personal)

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