Utopia and Dystopian Literature
Quick Write:
• What things do you think a society would
need to accomplish in order to be considered
“perfect”?
Context for Utopia
• Written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More during the
reign of Henry VIII of England.
• The word “Utopia” can be translated from the Greek
as “Good Place” or “No Place,” depending on which
Greek letters are used. This ambiguity was
intentional on More’s part.
• Utopia is social commentary, meant to contrast
Tudor England under Henry VIII with the society of
the Utopians.
• Social commentary was much more dangerous in
Tudor England than it is today. This is one reason
why More “frames” the narrative as a story he heard
from a sailor he met who had supposedly visited
Utopia.
Utopia as Social Commentary
• It is generally agreed that
More did not mean to
describe a “perfect” society
in Utopia, but to use the
“strange” traditions of the
Utopians to spark discussion
and criticism of real
contemporary problems.
• More may not have meant
to depict an ideal society;
however, over the years the
word “utopia” without the
capital letter has come to
mean “a perfect society”
with an added connotation
suggesting that such a
society is unrealistic.
A portrait of Thomas More by Hans Holbein
Group Reminders:
• Group 1: “From Utopia, Book II” (This is the
ONLY one that starts with a note from me.)
• Group 2: “Of Their Trades, and Manner of Life”
• Group 3: “Of the Religions of the Utopians”
• Group 4: “Of Their Military Discipline”
• Group 5: “Of Their Traffic”
• Group 6: “Of Their Slaves, and of Their
Marriages”
Group Readings of Sections of Utopia
• With your group, discuss the section of More’s
Utopia that you were assigned and be ready
report back to the class about what you learned.
• What unique features of Utopian society were
discussed in your selection?
• What surprised you about your selection?
• What ideas about government and society did
you find good or admirable? Which did you find
questionable or problematic? Why?
From Utopia to Dystopia
• Dystopia: “An imaginary place where people lead
dehumanized and often fearful lives.” (From The
Meriam Webster Encyclopedia of Literature)
• In contrast to “utopia,” which can be translated “good
place,” “dystopia” is translated “bad place.”
• Dystopian works of fiction often depict societies that
claim to be advanced, civilized, and near-perfect, but
are instead deeply flawed.
• Many protagonists in dystopian literature are
individuals who begin to question the problematic
rules and assumptions that pervade their societies.
Suggestions for Approaching a
Dystopian Novel as a Reader
• Know that focus on setting and world-building is often
as important if not more important than character.
– Most dystopian novels are exercises in asking “what if,”
and authors use contemporary fears and concerns to
build the societies in which their stories take place.
Notice how individuals relate to their societies, and how
the authors use current issues (such as the relationship
between religion and government, or advancements in
genetics and biology).
• Critic Thomas Moylan suggests that an experience
reader of dystopian literature (or science fiction in
general) “moves through the text like a traveler in a
foreign culture or a detective seeking clues to unravel
the mystery at hand.”
Context for Brave New World
• Written by Aldous Huxley, published in 1932.
• The title is taken from Shakespeare’s play The
Tempest. The full quote is: “O wonder! How many
goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous
mankind is! O brave new world! That has such
people in it!”
• While 1984, another very influential dystopian
novel, critiques Communist totalitarianism,
Huxley is critiquing both Communism (many
characters are named after Communist leaders)
and capitalism (especially its tendency for
consumerism) in this novel.
Henry Ford and the Model T
Henry Ford and his Model T, one of the first mass-produced
cars, are both quite important to Brave New World. The
calendar in the novel has Ford’s birth as its focal point, and the
production of the Model T is a religiously significant event.
The Science of Brave New World
• Though the science in the novel seems to be
quite sinister, Huxley came from a family of
scientists and believed very much in the
potential of modern medicine and science.
So, if the science in the novel seems to be
frightening, ask yourself, is this a critique of
scientific progress in general, or is it a critique
of the uses to which science is being put?