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Titel
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Dystopia EXAM TOPIC
Dystopia
What is dystopian and what is utopian - and how can you tell the difference?
In this topic we'll talk about the characteristics from both fictional and real dystopian/utopian societies including Russia, USA, North Korea, Denmark, etc. In dystopian settings, there is often an after-war scenario with bomb sites, dilapidated buildings and dull colours, possibly including some sort of surveillance and state control of the individual. We'll discuss the benefits and downsides of a surveilled society and also focus on the contrasts in the slogans of some of these societies like Big Brother is watching you, War is peace - freedom is slavery - ignorance is strength, stability-community-identity, etc. In the fictional works we also address the fact that the main characters often are so-called "underdogs", who either secrety rebel like Winston Smith in 1984 or openly stand their ground like Lucy Gray in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Lastly, we'll discuss why dystopian fiction is such a popular genre today.
1. Susanne Collins: "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes", novel, 2020
2. Francis Lawrence: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes", film, 2023
3. George Orwell: 1984, chapter 1 + audio book
4. Aldous Huxley: Brave New World, chapter 1 + audio book
5. Margaret Atwood: "The Handmaid's Tale", 1985, a few chapters from the novel + season 1, episodes 1 and 2
Additional work
Introductory tasks on utopia, dystopia, values, etc
Keywords are: Individual vs state, control, surveillance, us vs them, hierarchy, human right, slogan/motto (ambiguous meaning), contrasts.
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