Science fiction

President John F. Kennedy once said “conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” The concept of conformity and individuality is clearly illustrated in the novel, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. Like most dystopian societies, Fahrenheit 451 contains a damaged society in which the people watch excessive amounts of television on wall size sets, listen to music on seashell radio sets, and drive extremely fast, not afraid to hit animals or people. The masses never think…

Can one person accurately state what lies in the future? Though people would like to believe so, the future can only be predicted through a person’s opinions and perspectives of the present. Dystopian novelists do an excellent job prophesying the future of a world century in advance, whereas, utopian novels describe an essentially perfect society. They use vivid symbols, compelling word choice, and interesting characters to create a stimulating story. Themes involving technology, corruption,…

In the novel A Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood portrays the life of women in the future dystopian society as unpleasant, brutal, and horrific. The women in the novel have no power and are only useful for having babies. Atwood shows her feelings on this matter through the main character, Offred, and the people she surrounds herself with. Handmaid’s, Martha’s, Unwomen, and the Wives are the groups that make up the social hierarchy. Atwood causes us to open our eyes and ask ourselves: are women in…

Even if the world steps into the modern era, the false beliefs will not vanish. One of the most false beliefs in the world of chaos is the concept of rape myths. These myths obviously appear throughout literature as seen in Katy Lewis’s research paper (2017). She is a master student from Illinois State University. Lewis explores about rape myths in her research paper “She Wanted It?: Examining Young Adult Literature And Its Portrayals Of Rape Culture (2017).” In this thesis, it consists of four…

Ray Bradbury describes the life of a fireman in a futuristic world in his novel, Fahrenheit 451. In the novel, Guy Montag, a fireman, lives in a world where firemen burn books rather than put out fires. Montag meets a teenager, Clarisse McClellan, who he finds odd because of her bright, energetic personality, which is disparate and unnatural compared to the rest of the citizens. Clarisse questions Montag, opening his eyes to the imperfection in his life: his wife, his odd job, his boss, etc..…

If Hitler had a Big Brother… it would be O’Brien The world would be a better place if everyone was happy, if the weather was ideal, if laws were created to reflect the ideal lifestyle. In a utopia, it is thought as a imaginary, and an indefinitely remote place but one person's utopia is another's dystopia (“utopia”). An imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives is a dystopia (“dystopia”).. This is what happens in most cases like in the book of 1984 by George Orwell…

The Faintest Breath of Strawberries Guy Montag, a firefighter, lives in an isolated and lonely society where books have become outlawed by government fearing people. Taking place in a dystopian society, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, describes the duty of firefighters to burn any books on sight and send the offender to an insane asylum. Using imagery and symbolism, Bradbury helps the reader understand the characters of Clarisse and Mildred. When Montag first saw Clarisse he was struck by “her…

Throughout the history of film and television, writers have explored the dangers and what-ifs of human society, when it is closely intertwined with technology. The Netflix anthology series, Black Mirror, is, “about the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes' time if we're clumsy” says the shows creator, Charlie Brooker. Black Mirror presents itself as dark, satirical, cautionary tales about technology that play on one’s own uncertainty and unease about the present and…

Introduction The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Bath by Janet Frame both show the extraordinary loss of freedom humans can suffer in their lives. These talented writers have portrayed this theme through skilful use of characterisation, setting and imagery. In dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, antagonist Offred is stripped of her freedom by a theocracy. This government demand single women to be surrogates for rich, barren couples. In the short story, The Bath by Janet Frame, a…

Writers use the world around them as inspiration. Accordingly, Chaucer was no different in this respect. This 14th century writer observed the death, disease, and senseless violence in the world around him, and exposed the world to these disturbing actualities in the severe, yet veiled spotlight of the page. Even more so than these grim themes of the world, Chaucer uncovers the jarring realities of the culture at the time. He eventually packs all of these medieval sensibilities into an epic poem…