Introduction Dystopian literature is a genre that centers on the aftermath of the downfall of society due to oppression, disease, or some other cause of widespread suffering. Books with dystopian settings often highlight a small number of heroes who must overcome social, economic, and environmental turmoil in order to combat evil with goodness. These heroes defeat the enemy, who is frequently characterized as a corrupt government, by being upstanding and righteous people fighting for freedom and justice in a broken world. Commonly, the protagonists are teenagers and therefore appeal to young adult readers across the world. Several of the more recognized novels include The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Divergent
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Some enjoy experiencing bravery and hardship alongside the protagonist while others appreciate the deeper analysis of problems we face in our own world. Most of the high school students I interviewed reported that they enjoyed the emotional draw of reading dystopian books that allow them to experience the action-packed danger of a severely damaged world without the risk of actual danger. On the other hand, the college students I interviewed, including Pecha, revealed that they read such books in order to gain insight into the complexities of real world issues and develop their personal worldviews. Pecha explained that when it comes to books with dystopian settings, their "core message--both of warning and of hope--is always rooted in our own reality", thereby prompting readers to acknowledge and address those issues …show more content…
Therefore, they use this unique position of power to convey their own convictions regarding present-day topics. For instance, author of The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins uses her platform to comment on the impact reality TV has on society. She created the trilogy as a grotesque merger of war and reality TV, saying "I hope it does make people think about what they watch in a more reflective way" (Collins, Armistead). Dystopian books often center on the protagonist rebelling against the social norm and serve to "give hope to young adults to think that they can speak up for what they believe in" (Rising Popularity). The purpose of these authors, then, is both to entertain with action- filled tales and to persuade with moral lessons about the consequences and rewards of our
Some enjoy experiencing bravery and hardship alongside the protagonist while others appreciate the deeper analysis of problems we face in our own world. Most of the high school students I interviewed reported that they enjoyed the emotional draw of reading dystopian books that allow them to experience the action-packed danger of a severely damaged world without the risk of actual danger. On the other hand, the college students I interviewed, including Pecha, revealed that they read such books in order to gain insight into the complexities of real world issues and develop their personal worldviews. Pecha explained that when it comes to books with dystopian settings, their "core message--both of warning and of hope--is always rooted in our own reality", thereby prompting readers to acknowledge and address those issues …show more content…
Therefore, they use this unique position of power to convey their own convictions regarding present-day topics. For instance, author of The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins uses her platform to comment on the impact reality TV has on society. She created the trilogy as a grotesque merger of war and reality TV, saying "I hope it does make people think about what they watch in a more reflective way" (Collins, Armistead). Dystopian books often center on the protagonist rebelling against the social norm and serve to "give hope to young adults to think that they can speak up for what they believe in" (Rising Popularity). The purpose of these authors, then, is both to entertain with action- filled tales and to persuade with moral lessons about the consequences and rewards of our