Titel
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Utopian Dreams and Dystopian Nightmares (EXAM)
As dystopian novels have topped the bestseller lists and audiovisual adaptations have featured heavily in cinema and TV for the last 15 years we ask: why is this literary genre is so popular at the moment? Literary theory for understanding dystopias is supplied by Gregory Claeys and various other sources, and an overview of the popularity of the genre is given by Shiau before the course splits up into our common studies and differentiated novels. Examples of different dystopian visions are provided by Shirley Jackson, Black Mirror, Margaret Atwood and Kurt Vonnegut, while the remainder of class is organized as literary circles where students study different novels in groups. The course ends with oral group presentations of the novels.
Central terms include
- utopia vs. dystopia
- the three main variations (Claeys): static vs. dynamic, ascetic vs. want-satisfying, hierarchical vs. egalitarian
- forms of control: corporate, bureaucratic, technological, philosophical/religious
KERNESTOF
• Gregory Claeys: “Three main variations of the utopian ideal” fra Searching for Utopia, Thames & Hudson Ltd (2011)
• Read-write-think. “Dystopias: definition and characteristics” (2006)
• Shirley Jackson: “The Lottery” (1948) from Wider Contexts, eds. Jonna Engberg-Pedersen, Mette Grønvold og Hanne Ohland-Andersen, Gyldendal, 2012: 25-32.
• Dir. Reed Morano: “Offred,” sæson 1, episode 1 af The Handmaid’s Tale, HBO (2017).
• Dir. Euros Lyn: ”Fifteen Million Merits,” sæson 2, episode 1 af Black Mirror, Netflix (2011)
• Kurt Vonnegut: “Harrison Bergeron” (1961) fra BRAVE NEW WORLDS eds. John Joseph Adams. San Francisco: Night Shade Books, 2011: 369-374.
KERNESTOF DIFFERENTIERET
I litterære cirkler (projektorienteret gruppearbejde) har eleverne arbejdet med forskellige romaner, som de har læst som værk og har udarbejdet en fremlæggelse omkring:
• Alberte RH, Aya, Isabell, Selma, Marie: The Handmaid’s Tale af Margaret Atwood (1985)
• Luna, Sebastian, Frederik, Carl-Emil, Daniel: The Maze Runner af James Dashner (2009)
• Liv, Jakob, Alma, Emma, Liva: 1984 af George Orwell (1949)
• Simon, Caroline, Andrea, Tobias, Peter: The Hunger Games af Suzanne Collins (2008)
• Sofie W, Laura E, Sofie A, Laura B, Nikoline: Lord of the Flies af William Golding (1963)
• Casper, Alberte MR, Valdemar, Alexander, Faustino: Fahrenheit 451 af Ray Bradbury (1953)
SUPPLERENDE MATERIALE
• M.H. Abrams: “Utopias and Dystopias” fra A Glossary of Literary Terms: 327-28.
• Yvonne Shiau: “The Rise of Dystopian Fiction: From Soviet Dissidents to 70’s Paranoia to Murakami,” 26. juli 2017 via electicliterature.com. URL: https://electricliterature.com/the-rise-of-dystopian-fiction-from-soviet-dissidents-to-70s-paranoia-to-murakami-a73b945c5d37
• Trine Østergaard: “2.2.1 Young Adult Fiction” from The English Handbook. Systime, 2020. URL: https://theenglishhandbook.systime.dk/?id=210
FOKUSPUNTER
• Definition af utopi og dystopi som litterære genrer
• Definition af dystopiens kontroltyper, samfundets karakteristika, protagonistens rolle og typiske karakteristika
• Kendskab til tre overordnede u- og dystopiske varianter: statisk vs. dynamisk, asketisk vs. behovstilfredsstillende, hierarkisk vs. egalitær
• Diskutere tematikker, der hyppigt optræder i dystopiske værker som samfundets struktur og statens rolle heri; økonomi og fattigdom; køn og race; teknologi og menneskelig manipulation af natur; religion; menneskerettigheder; seksualitet, kærlighed og venskab; identitet og hukommelse; kommunikation
• Kendskab til den dystopiske genres popularitet og udvikling fra dens oprindelse til 1920-30erne, post-2. Verdenskrig, 1970-90’erne og efter årtusindeskiftet
• Diskutere den dystopiske genres popularitet i nutiden og dens overlap med Young Adult Fiction
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