Elements In Fahrenheit 451, Anthem, And The Maze Runner

In the novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury shows examples of several philosophies. Bradbury writes examples of Utilitarianism, Conformism, and Leaderless Resistance. These ideas are conveyed thoroughly in the novel and have prominent examples. By understanding these philosophies, the audience can comprehend the book on a deeper level. Utilitarianism-

Power and Control The Chrysalids is a book by John Wyndham and it refers back to the cold war when he wrote it in 1955 as he puts he puts his thoughts of the future after a tribulation into a book. In The Chrysalids, the main character David and his friends all have a special power that lets them talk to each other through think pictures. In their hometown, Waknuk, they are deemed as outcast and either run away or let them catch you. David and his friends choose to run away to the Fringes and later get picked up to a city of telepaths.

Lack of Personal Freedom Every piece of literature portrays not only a story, but also a deeper message. In The Chrysalids, by John Wyndham, the author shows a lack of personal freedom within the people of Waknuk. To begin with, deviations are sent to the Fringes because they are not the Definition of Man. This is shown when Gordon Strorm was sent to the Fringes when he was a young boy.

Dystopia as a genre is a literature of fictional writing tends to engage with social and political structures, in a dark and nightmare world. It is deliberately written to frighten and warn the readers and society’s fellow of totalitarian and suppressive government. Dystopia is a novel of enlightenment. It’s about the self discovery. It’s a social commentary based on particular event in history.

Part of the human condition is to find enjoyment in dystopia. To experience dystopia through film and literature is to experience a life that is outside our realm of reality, but inside our realm of possibility. Dystopia makes us feel safe because our lives are better than those described in the books we read and the movies we watch. A story about dysfunction and control on large scale is not successful on its own. Authors rely on a world of character development, connotative diction, imagery and literary devices.

Since the age of Thomas Moore, intellectuals have been fascinated by the idea of an ideal society where all is well and total happiness is readily available to all of its members. Such ideals of a ‘utopia’ continued throughout the centuries until it reached a major pivoting point in the nineteenth century. Historical events such as the Second World War, the Cold War, the emergence of McCarthyism, and the creation of a nuclear bomb left people with a heavily misanthropic view of the world. People started to question the practicality or realistic possibility of a utopian society, thus creating the genre of dystopian literature. (Gerhard, 2012)

During this Paideia, many strong points were brought up at each table. Each table had their own theme to focus on, which brought all different unique discussions while traveling from table to table. The first table I went to was Mira 's table which was focusing on questions. The point in this conversation that result struck me was when someone brought up "are there other cities in this society that burn books as well? " There could me many other cities with the same sort of government and we don 't even know.

Dystopian literature has been established as an important source of political commentary through interpretation and portrayal of an alternate source of morality, usually contradicting popular belief. Through use of dystopian tropes, authors are able to effectively influence way of thought through the influence of their writing. This is usually done with the purpose of acting as warning against certain political ideologies, but there is more to dystopian literature than a simple heed of warning. Furthermore, stories like The Hunger Games, "The Lottery," and "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" remain relevant due to their thought-provoking plotlines and philosophical ideas.

Dystopian societies found in literature typically express human tendency to have a fear of the future consequently the fear of the unknown. Over the years dystopian writers have written stories about world governments becoming power hungry and creating conformist societies that take away the liberties of being a freethinking human. In post apocalyptic worlds the human race tends to lose it’s belief in humanity, in creativity, and in freedom. Dystopian societies are depicted as environments filled with conformity, hierarchy, and incentives. The film adaptation of Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games and Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World are prime examples of dystopian societies dominated by capitalist exploitation.

A dystopian society is a dysfunctional society that is marketed to its citizens as a utopian society. It includes elements such as a lack/ downplay of religion or one government sanctioned religion that everyone must follow. The government either uses force and or fear to control its population. There is a suppression of freedom of speech and a suppression of intellectualism. In this society, there is a protagonist who rebels against the status quo.