If the world alone was nothing more but a society in which there is nothing but peace and the entire world was equal in all directions, citizens and outsiders of the society would classify it differently from completely different sides. This is the thought that sparks a discussion about the similarities and differences of two societies that are highly popular in pop culture, yet surprisingly are true in the modern world. One society is a place where everything in the world is perfect and everyone lives in harmony with one another without a need for bloodshed, a utopia, whereas one society is a place where everything in the world is nothing more but a dark place, where everyone is corrupted and insane in more ways than one, a dystopia. In the
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In contrast, examples of dystopias in cinema include more popular titles such as Brazil, The Matrix, District 9, Children of Men, and A Clockwork Orange (Zafar-Arif). There are many real-life examples of utopias and dystopias in the world as well, such as the Branch Davidians, Jonestown, and the controversial Unification Church, all of which exist in the modern universe today. Most importantly, the dystopian genre has gained a sense of momentum in popular culture today, and a hypothesis on why that would be the case is because as human beings, the people of the world are interested in discovering what the world would look like years into the future. The reality is, between a fictitious dystopia and an actual utopia or dystopia such as the Unification Church, a major difference is that while it may start out with utopian beliefs, a utopia is unachievable since their visions are never fulfilled, and tragically, all attempts of creating this ideally perfect state have and will always fall into more of a dark and corrupt state as it is in literature and …show more content…
In order to understand how or why, it is perhaps wise to understand what the term utopia means and apply some background knowledge. According to a French editorial by Yves Charles Zarka, the editorial implies, “Utopia is often spoken in a general, imprecise way, to characterize any conception of the state that is considered an unrealizable ideal” (Hughes). To understand the quote, Zarka is implying that the term utopia is generally defined as an unrealizable idealistic state where there is nothing but peace and the people are able to live in harmony (Hughes). However, utopias often devolve into dystopias, primarily due to the fact that it is impossible to achieve those ideals without causing any suffering or misery among all members of the society. In order to understand the term dystopia, it is better to define it from an author’s standpoint. According to a Los Angeles Times article from 2012, author Steve Padilla wrote, “’Dystopia,’ which always seemed to be used in connection with the world ‘bleak,' means the opposite and combines two Greek roots - 'dys' (meaning bad or ill, as in dysfunctional) with 'topos' (meaning place)" (Padillas). In alternative terms, citizens of a dystopian society are essentially living in
In contrast, examples of dystopias in cinema include more popular titles such as Brazil, The Matrix, District 9, Children of Men, and A Clockwork Orange (Zafar-Arif). There are many real-life examples of utopias and dystopias in the world as well, such as the Branch Davidians, Jonestown, and the controversial Unification Church, all of which exist in the modern universe today. Most importantly, the dystopian genre has gained a sense of momentum in popular culture today, and a hypothesis on why that would be the case is because as human beings, the people of the world are interested in discovering what the world would look like years into the future. The reality is, between a fictitious dystopia and an actual utopia or dystopia such as the Unification Church, a major difference is that while it may start out with utopian beliefs, a utopia is unachievable since their visions are never fulfilled, and tragically, all attempts of creating this ideally perfect state have and will always fall into more of a dark and corrupt state as it is in literature and …show more content…
In order to understand how or why, it is perhaps wise to understand what the term utopia means and apply some background knowledge. According to a French editorial by Yves Charles Zarka, the editorial implies, “Utopia is often spoken in a general, imprecise way, to characterize any conception of the state that is considered an unrealizable ideal” (Hughes). To understand the quote, Zarka is implying that the term utopia is generally defined as an unrealizable idealistic state where there is nothing but peace and the people are able to live in harmony (Hughes). However, utopias often devolve into dystopias, primarily due to the fact that it is impossible to achieve those ideals without causing any suffering or misery among all members of the society. In order to understand the term dystopia, it is better to define it from an author’s standpoint. According to a Los Angeles Times article from 2012, author Steve Padilla wrote, “’Dystopia,’ which always seemed to be used in connection with the world ‘bleak,' means the opposite and combines two Greek roots - 'dys' (meaning bad or ill, as in dysfunctional) with 'topos' (meaning place)" (Padillas). In alternative terms, citizens of a dystopian society are essentially living in