IMAGINING THE APOCALYPSE:
A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON
AMERICAN AND THIRD WORLD DYSTOPIAS
- NIRZARI PANDIT Dystopian imaginings in literature, particularly literature of the 20th and 21st century, reflect both global as well as national predilections depending on the immediate social realities most imminent to their authors. While this need not necessitate a convenient bracketing of dystopian works into distinct dystopian themes that may quite appropriately be labeled as fitting into a first world or third world context, the selection of the theme and its treatment may provide some pointers to whether there is in fact a first world or third world dimension to dystopian works. This paper attempts to explore the subtle divide that exists in the way dystopian themes are articulated in four different texts in English written by the …show more content…
For the purposes of comparison, highly popular dystopian works pertaining to the same period have been selected. Interestingly, the point of comparison here is not only the differential treatment of a very common set of dystopian themes by the authors, but also the political, sociological and economic milieu that makes these dystopian utterances a possibility. Thus, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (2006) showcases a post-apocalyptic world devoid of vegetation (environment) and human values that may be more immediately located in a world where global warming and ecological destruction seem to be the only logically predictable end to human civilization. Similarly, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games (2008) showcases a future order where political, economic and social interests converge to promote and support televised mortal combat between teenagers. For an adult teenager soaking in sitcoms and reality shows, the image of
A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON
AMERICAN AND THIRD WORLD DYSTOPIAS
- NIRZARI PANDIT Dystopian imaginings in literature, particularly literature of the 20th and 21st century, reflect both global as well as national predilections depending on the immediate social realities most imminent to their authors. While this need not necessitate a convenient bracketing of dystopian works into distinct dystopian themes that may quite appropriately be labeled as fitting into a first world or third world context, the selection of the theme and its treatment may provide some pointers to whether there is in fact a first world or third world dimension to dystopian works. This paper attempts to explore the subtle divide that exists in the way dystopian themes are articulated in four different texts in English written by the …show more content…
For the purposes of comparison, highly popular dystopian works pertaining to the same period have been selected. Interestingly, the point of comparison here is not only the differential treatment of a very common set of dystopian themes by the authors, but also the political, sociological and economic milieu that makes these dystopian utterances a possibility. Thus, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (2006) showcases a post-apocalyptic world devoid of vegetation (environment) and human values that may be more immediately located in a world where global warming and ecological destruction seem to be the only logically predictable end to human civilization. Similarly, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games (2008) showcases a future order where political, economic and social interests converge to promote and support televised mortal combat between teenagers. For an adult teenager soaking in sitcoms and reality shows, the image of