When we think of dystopian futures, perhaps George Orwell’s unsettling account of government oppression in 1984, or Margaret Atwood’s telling of gender oppression and loss of personal autonomy in The Handmaiden’s Tale come to mind. Dystopian narratives reflect societies’ fear of loss of identity, freedoms, environment and humanity and serve as a cautionary tale of unchecked regulations as well as asking the question of what we truly value in society.
With increasing technological advances such as surveillance and the collection of personal data, there is a growing fear of the loss of personal freedoms and government oppression. Dystopian themes such as these explore fears of a world where personal privacy no longer exists and the truth is manipulated to create the illusion of a stable and secure society. The Circle by Dave Eggers highlights this through the exploration of a future where a powerful technology company surveys all aspects of everyday life, thereby rendering all people devoid of their own privacy.
Another prevalent theme is environmental collapse, reflecting our fears of global warming, deforestation, mass extinction, resource depletion and pollution. These narratives often serve to remind us of Earth’s fragility and the need for sustainable action. Many blockbuster films have played with the idea of environmental collapse. The Mad Max series depicts a chaotic post-apocalyptic world ravaged by climate change and resource depletion where violence is used as a means of survival. Waterworld, on the other hand, depicts a similar world of survival in which the polar icecaps have melted causing a world of endless ocean.
There is a current concern that the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. The fear of the formation of an irreversible class divide where the wealthy exploit the impoverished has influenced many dystopian novels such as Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. Here, impoverished districts are exploited to provide resources and support the lavish lifestyle of the Capital’s elite. They are kept subjugated by sacrificing their children to take part in The Hunger Games. The narrative aims to explore an unequal and divisive world where unchecked capitalism comes at enormous social cost.
We are drawn to dystopian fiction due to its reflection of our greatest fears and real-world anxieties. TV Series such as the aptly named Black Mirror continue to question our modern boundaries and comfort around technological advances. Dystopian narratives compel us to question and evaluate present day issues in terms of their personal and environmental costs.
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