Utopia/Dystopia

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to escape the wrath of powerful forces (otherwise they would run painful tests on her and eventually kill her) 1 WHY DO PEOPLE ENJOY THIS TYPE OF LITERATURE? entertainment finding new sides of oneself "What would I do if I were him?" feel empathy with the characters - to escape their own reality (flee from proplems) especially for young adults: forming badass as Katniss Everdeen") exciting to see how the protagonist rebels against the government an identity → having rolemodels (e.g. "someday I want to be as APPEALING DYS-/UTOPIA IDEAS technological advancement. ·→ seems fun and exciting Utopia: living in a harmonious state with freedom of everything Dystopia: teens (usually) who get to perform ultimate acts of rebellion against authority THREATS IN CURRENT TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS A Genetical engineering (altering DNA) manipulating the natural product - more risks of geneticists making mistakes → new diseases - less individuality 21 Artificial intelligence WHAT DID I TAKE AWAY FROM DYSTOPIAN LITERATURE! - humans take advantage of their power rich people are terrible there actually are people living in a system like oppression of minorities is a real thing machines replace humans → disappearance of jobs lack of privacy, transparency, quality data potential for military use & criminal use (war-nuclear weapons) could surpass human intelligence lots of ethical issues DYSTOPIA LITERATURE AS A FORM OF POLITICAL CRITICISM - shows that there is no perfect world warning towards (current) trends of political leading leaders can learn from it systems like this exists danger of suppression of free will - O - I overcome the stereotype =>> →good way to see what could happen if but should not be taken too seriously WHY ALWAYS FEMALE PROTAGONISTS? normally: boy as hero and girls find love - shows that anyone can have the power to change the world - still fiction does not resemble real life very exaggerated representation PRO still interesting Clearn about ourself *** dystopian heroines tend to be more concerned with bettering their world and caring for their families than they do about fitting into social norms ·also shows the shift in thinking that teens are having toward the world, stereotypes & expectations HOW CAN UTOPIAN IDEAS TURN INTO DYSTOPIAN SCENARIOS? - there can't be a "perfect world" someday one person always takes advantage of their power - the utopian system eventually collapses there are always people unsatisfied with the current situation and try to change it DYSTOPIAN SOCIETY DURING CORONA PANDEMIC? TECHNOLOGIES THAT SHOULD BE... A strictly banned our freedom was highly restricted government had "control" vaccinated vs. non-vaccinates instead of rich vs. poor social devision, now vaccinated people have more freedom 2 controlled S 3 - nuclear weapons mind reading/brain hacking devices autonomous robots designed to kill humans - 31 heavily supported our freedom was restrict in order to protect our health there was no division between rich and poor Lo they had the same restriction - - no use of technology for surveillance - state of emergency Alexa/Google Home: data protection, privacy robots: should never become like real humans genetical engineering hydrogen cars, busses, trainc, etc. robots to fight pollution →in general: technologies which help fight climate change THE HUNGER GAMES history: North America dissolved-country of Panem rose up formed a Capitol and 13 districts (rich to poor)- districts rebelled- Capitol defeated the districts, district 13 was fully destroyed to punish the districts & remind them their powerlessness: annual Hunger Games a male +female tribute between 12-18 from each district must fight to death in a →survivor wins + gets extra food this years tribute from District 12: Katniss Everdeen (volunteered) + Peeta Mellark create a fake-lovestory audience loves them KATNISS EVERDEEN Gamemakers trick them and during the games there's a new rule: for the first time two tributes of the same District can win Katniss & Peeta are the last men standing. -new rule change: only one can win they trick the audience by letting them believe they both kill themselves government let them both win large arena protagonist - takes care of her sister independent, strong, responsible, brave, fearless, protective, heroic, self-sacrificing → round character: seems real to us; has different character traits like a real person; able to develop / change throughout the story FLAT CHARACTERS: only represent a certain character trait (e.g. good or bad), very one-dimensional do not seem real PEETA MELLARCK HAYMITCH ABERNATHY trainer -keeps distance to Katniss & Peeta - Katniss dispites him -during the games: sends Katniss gifts starts to like him ? opponents, enemies-to-friends - difficult history: Peeta soved Katniss from starving - dislike each other - keep distance - fake romance escort of the District 12 tributes -Effie is like an advisor to them -Effie supports/helps them -friendly /rather neutral relationship EFFIE TRINKET PRESIDENT SNOW - President of Panem - control lies in his hands - everybody dislikes him especially Katniss friends KATNISS EVERDEEN RUE best friends -opponents allies → friends -trusted each other /-developed a strong bond -helped each other sisters - Katniss takes care of her like a mother - loving relationship -strong bond -hunting partners -promised Katniss to take care of her family GALE HAWTHRONE PRIMROSE EVERDEEN like step- siblings - Gale takes care of her like a little sister - "guardian-angel moral issues Ethical considerations discourse / discussions monitoring system? Designer Babies progress manipulate DNA Genetic Engineering GMO food IVF forms of energy improvement of living conditions migration / racism globalisation Technological + Scientific Progress wars strong female protagonists AI sustainability global warming changing conditions on earth challenges for mankind Utopia / Dystopia Science & Technology character in literature criticism self-driving cars new realities VR vs. AR environmentally friendly T. More: imaginary, paradise-like places entertainment!? individual vs. society safety role / chances in the society degeneration of society H positive future vision peace / understanding Utopian elements based on the desire of a better life / society with peace political structures work for the good of the people humanitarian / natural disaster nightmare war / conflicts Dystopian elements oppressive government totalitarianism / dictatorships English Basic Course (Ho) REVISION: Utopia/Dystopia Utopia/Dystopia 1. Explain the difference between a utopia and a dystopia. 2. Give examples of dystopian societies in film and literature. 3. Why is this kind of "escapist" fiction so popular today / amongst young adults? 4. Which utopian / dystopian ideas you got in class appeal to you? 5. Which possible threats do you see in current technological trends? 6. What did you take away from the dystopian texts we read? 7. Which of the characters in "The Hunger Games" did you like most? Why? 8. Discuss the importance of dystopian fiction as a form of political criticism. 9. Why do you think dystopian fiction often features such strong female protagonists? 10. Would you like to live in any of the utopian (or dystopian) societies of the films / texts you encountered in class? 11. Explain how utopian ideas can turn into dystopian scenarios. 12. Which ethical concerns get raised in the context of genetic engineering? Why is it still so appealing? 13. Discuss the idea of dystopia in light of the developments regarding the Corona Pandemic. 14. Which new technologies should be strictly banned, controlled or heavily supported? o a wwwwwwwww 4