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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 6:46 pm
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Perhaps the most widely recognized dystopia, created by *Orson Welles*, is the world monitored by Big Brother, found in 1984. An excellent novel detailing the human struggle to seek a balance between happiness, and life's experiences. The progression of the book concerns the average, middle class citizen, and his "secret" lusts and desires for something more than the highly regimented life set in place. His menial job as history editor provides him with enough power to deduce that "History is bunk." Finding solace in the fact that he is not alone in his struggles to find an identity despite the government, he discovers a world of beauty and sensual pleasure.
Another book about humanity's desire for continuous happiness is Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. This dystopic society is powered by preprogrammed humans who are created and trained for a specific stimulous and response. The height of this society is represented in the character Lenina, who has no desire to seek a better life, only to work and enjoy. A social outcast, Bernard, wants only recognition, and he receives it when on vacation in an Indian Reservation, discovers a "brutal savage" and his mother who was a castaway from the sterile socity. Bringing them into a world of endless happiness, the savage, John, is both curious and impressed with his new surroundings. However, discovering that his desire to continuing experience a life that also involves tragedy, he is considered a monster for his humanity.
Although the examples are boundless, these are the only two dystopic books that I have a thorough knowledge of. Does anyone else have a comment on the use of dystopias to explain and contrast human psychology?
*My mistake (holy crap), thanks to penandpaper, though it is indeed George Orwell, author of other memorable book Animal Farm.
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:01 pm
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:08 pm
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:12 pm
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:16 pm
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:30 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 3:52 am
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 7:33 am
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 2:08 pm
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Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:55 am
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:55 pm
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Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:12 pm
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451 was an amazing book, as was 1984.
Another dystopia that comes to mind [besides "The Matrix"; I could write a six-page paper on the symbolism in that movie lmao] is Anthem by Ayn Rand. It is a story of a society in which names include numbers, and the first person pronouns do not exist. Everyone is a part of the collective [not unlike the Borg on Star Trek, if you have any idea what I'm talking about], and everyone says "We" and "Us." The main character [and narratour, I believe] is a man who thinks that there must be something more than the world he is living in. Skipping through the book, he: creates electricity in an ancient storm drain, falls in love, runs away with the woman, finds a house in the mountains, reads a bunch of books, discovers the idea of "I," and decides to re-educate his entire society. Quite an interesting book, actually. -nod-
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Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:51 pm
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I’ve read some of the books mentioned -- Fahrenheit 451, 1984, and Brave New World -- and they all impressed me, although I probably enjoyed Fahrenheit the most. I’d also include a few Atwood novels under the dystopian theme. The Handmaid’s Tale is about Offred, a “handmaid” living in a dictatorial society where women are completely controlled by men. Deeper than simply illustrating gender differences, it explores the various meanings of freedom and imprisonment. Oryx and Crake, although also an apocalypse story, depicts a society frighteningly similar to our own, with today’s genetic engineering, rich-poor divide, obsession with appearances, and sensationalist thrills elevated beyond our comfort level.
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:52 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:28 am
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