Intro to Dystopian Literature
Dystopian Film
• As you view the
following films, consult
the handout describing
the characteristics of
dystopian literature and
take notes as you view
the film
• You’ll use these notes in
your discussion after
the films!
Gattaca (1997)
• This film is set in a future when one’s life is
determined by genetic engineering rather
than education or experience. The wealthy
can choose the genetic makeup of their
descendants. People are designed to fit into
whatever role is decided before birth. Citizens
are fashioned as perfect specimens (aka
“Valids”) who dominate. A natural-born “InValid,” Vincent wants to break free from his
predetermined fate and pays a DNA broker to
assume a “Valid” identity so he can fly into
space.
The First Seven Minutes:
• http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=9c25ZzUFe
PY&feature=related
• 1: Gattaca – 30.2 Years
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=48hnujqpoA
• 2: Gattaca – Anton’s
Birth:
• http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=lP1cCjBkW
ZU&feature=related
The Matrix (1999)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdkdQtlF-RU
Minority Report (2002)
• http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=QH6UImAP7c
• http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=yyMdrOGh
BhI
• In the year 2054, “Precrime,” a
specialized police department,
apprehends criminals based on
predictions provided by three
psychics called “Precogs.” In this
future world criminals are caught
before they commit crimes, thus
eliminating murder altogether.
• One officer in this special unit is
accused of a future crime and
sets out to prove himself
innocent.
• Optical Recognition System: a
device exists that can track one’s
every move through the eyes
Consult your notes and break up into
groups of 3-4 to discuss the following
questions:
• What are the worst-case scenarios that these film
clips explore?
• What illusion of a perfect society is depicted in
the clips the class has viewed?
• How are the members of this society being
oppressed?
• What current trend, societal norm, or political
system is exaggerated in this world? What
criticism is made through the exaggeration in the
clips?
The Rise of Young Adult Dystopians:
The Future Brave New World and 1984
• Consider the following
questions that come from an
online forum discussion on
The New York Times website
called “The Dark Side of Young
Adult Fiction.” This series was
in response to the growing list
of bestselling dystopia fiction
for young adults, including
Hunger Games, Feed, The
Maze Runner, Unwind, The
Uglies, Matched, Delirium, etc.
For each question, mark one
of the following: Agree,
Somewhat Agree, Somewhat
Disagree, Disagree
Agree, Somewhat Agree, Disagree,
Somewhat Disagree
______ “[Y]oung adults crave
stories of broken futures
because they themselves are
uneasily aware that their
world is falling apart.”
Agree, Somewhat Agree, Disagree,
Somewhat Disagree
______ “[T]eenagers who are loving
the dystopian themes are generally
the ones who don’t have to face it.
[…] Would we be so enamored with
dystopian fiction if we lived in a
culture where violent death was a
major concern? It wouldn’t be
escapism.”
Agree, Somewhat Agree, Disagree,
Somewhat Disagree
______ “Schools are places where
teens are subject to dress codes,
have few free speech rights, and are
constantly under surveillance, where
they rise and sit at the sound of a
bell. Is it any wonder that dystopian
novels speak to them?”
Questions over “The Lottery”
• How does “The Lottery” fit the characteristics of a dystopian text?
Consult your notes to support your answer to this question.
• What are the origins of the lottery? Why do you think it began?
• What different attitudes toward the ritual stoning are represented
by (a) Mr. Summers (b) Old Man Warner (c) Mr. and Mrs. Adams
(d) Mrs. Hutchinson (e) the villagers in general?
• What do you understand to be the writer’s own attitude toward
the lottery and the stoning? Exactly what in the story makes her
attitude clear to us?
• What is the point of view in the story? What is the effect of that
point of view?
• What do you think Shirley Jackson is driving at in this story? (It
might be useful to know that she was a Jewish woman living in a
small town in Vermont in 1948 when this story was written; why
transport a primitive ritual into a modern setting?; what is the
significance of scapegoating?)