2. WHAT IS UTOPIA?
• DEFINITION OF UTOPIA : AN IMAGINED COUNTRY OR PLACE WHERE EVERYTHING
IS PERFECT. UTOPIAN PLACES/COUNTRIES ARE USUALLY CONTROLLED BY
GOVERNMENTS
• DEFINITION OF DYSTOPIA : DYSTOPIAN COUNTRIES/PLACES ARE WHERE
NOTHING IS CONTROLLED BY SOMETHING AND WHERE EVERYTHING IS OUT OF
ORDER
• UTOPIA = OPPOSITE OF DYSTOPIA
The term Utopia was
created by a Greek
philosopher named Sir
Thomas More in his book
Utopia
3. FOUR MOST NECESSARY FACTORS IN UTOPIA
• SAFETY
• FREEDOM
• INDIVIDUALITY
• EQUALITY
4. SAFETY
• DURING MOST FILMS YOU WILL FIND THE
PREMISE OF PEOPLE BEING TERRIFIED OF
SOMETHING OUT THERE AND SO HAVE
ERECTED A WALL. THIS HAPPENS DURING
THE DIVERGENT SERIES BUT AT SOME STAGE
THE CITIZENS FORGET WHAT THE WALL WAS
ERECTED FOR EVEN IN THE FIRST PLACE.
FIGURE 1; MOCKING_JOE
5. FREEDOM
• THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO BELIEVE IN
WHAT THEY DEEM. BUT SURPRISINGLY DESPITE MOST
UTOPIA'S STRIVING FOR THIS. BUT MOST DYSTOPIA'S
START WITH THE PREMISE OF THIS MISSING LEADING TO
HORRIBLE SITUATIONS.
FIGURE 2; BIG BROTHER
6. INDIVIDUALITY
• THIS IS ANOTHER ITEM THAT UTOPIA'S STRIVE FOR YET ONCE AGAIN
DYSTOPIA'S START WITH THE PREMISE THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS USING THEM
AS PAWNS AND THAT THEY ARE ONE IN THE SAME.
FIGURE 3; BECCAPEACE
7. EQUALITY
• THIS IS WHERE WE ARE ALL ONE IN THE SAME REGARDLESS OF RACE AND
ORIGIN. ALL COUNTRIES START WITH THIS AND AS SHOWN BY THE UTOPIA'S
THAT EXISTED DURING THE 1800'S THIS WAS SOUGHT AFTER. FORTUNATELY
THIS IS NEVER THE PREMISE OF A DYSTOPIAN SOCIETY.
8. PARADOX’S
ALTHOUGH THESE ARE THE FOUR IDEAL FACTORS OF A UTOPIA YOU CAN'T HAVE
THEM ALL. THESE ARE TWO PARADOXES PRESENTED IN MOVIES AND BOOKS
ABOUT UTOPIA.
-FREEDOM ALLOWS PEOPLE TO MAKE CHOICE BUT IT HAS TO BE
CONTROLLED OR REASONABLY PREDICTED OR A SMALL MINORITY WILL REJECT
THE UTOPIA IN TURN TEARING IT APART.
-INDIVIDUALITY LEADS SOMEONE TO BE UNIQUE IN TURN CREATING
THOUGHTS BASED ON EXPERIENCE AND ENCOUNTERS WHICH ALLOW THE STATE
TO BE CONTESTED.
9. THE MATRIX
“THE MATRIX” IS SUPPOSED TO BE A
PERFECT UTOPIA BUT IN TRUTH
EACH ACTION IS MONITORED TO
THE EXTENT THAT YOUR WHOLE
LIFE IS PREDICTED AND ANYBODY
WHO ACTS OUT OF THE ORDINARY
DESTROYED. THUS FREEDOM ONLY
EXISTS UNDER SURVEILLANCE
WHICH IS A DEBATE TODAY.
FIGURE 4; NIELVEVO
10. 1984
A LACK OF INDIVIDUALITY IS DEMONSTRATED IN
THE “1984” WHERE LIFE IS LIVED IN FEAR OF THE
THOUGHT POLICE THREATENING PEOPLE WHO HAVE
IDEAS THAT DON'T COMPLY. EVERY ACTION THAT
DIFFERENTIATES AN INDIVIDUAL FROM ANOTHER
FROM ANOTHER IS CONSIDERED DANGEROUS. THUS
INDIVIDUALITY IS CONTROLLED TO SOME EXTENT.
FIGURE 5; HOLDENCAULFIELDCAMPION
11. WEIGHING VALUES
THESE TWO PARADOX'S USUALLY OCCUR IN
ORDER TO PROCURE THE SAFETY AND
EQUALITY. BUT IS IT WORTH FORFEITING
THESE BASIC RIGHTS IN ORDER TO CREATE
A PARADISE WHERE EQUALITY AND SAFETY
ARE ABUNDANT. IT LEAVES YOU
WONDERING WHETHER UTOPIA IS
ACHIEVABLE.
FIGURE 6; CHRISTA COX
12. EXAMPLES.
• BRAVE NEW WORLD.
• THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED TO LIVE IN A LIFE THAT TO THEM IS PERFECT. BERNARD
MAX PLANS TO FIND A PLACE A WAY FROM THE BRAINWASHED WORLD A SECRETLY SOCIETY.
• UTOPIA.
• TAKES PLACE IN A WORLD WHERE LAW IS MORE POWERFUL THEN FREEDOM THE PEOPLE ARE SAFE BUT NOT HAPPY
• 1984
• IN THE YEAR 1984 THE WORLD IS TRANSFORMED INTO AN IMAGINARY WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING IS PERFECT.
13. EXAMPLE
• THE GIVER
• A WORLD THAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A PERFECT COMMUNITY HAS MANY SECRET DARK SIDES TO IT.
• ISLAND
• FOR 120 YEARS A SOCIETY HAS RULED ON A ISLAND BUT WHEN A MAN IS SHIPWRECK ON THE ISLAND HE SEES THINGS FROM A DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVE.
• HER LAND
• AN ALL-FEMALE SOCIETY IS FOUND BY A GROUP OF HIKERS. THIS ARE HIKERS START TO WONDER WHAT ARE WOMEN'S ROLES IN THEIR OWN
SOCIETY
• ECOTOPIA
• A WORLD THAT EVERYONE LIVES IN PERFECT HOMINY AND PEACE. THIS FRESH LOVELY GREEN ENVIRONMENT IS FOUND BY A REPORTER WHO
FINDS MINI CITIES MADE UP OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES.
• MATCHED
• A GIRL LIVES IN A SOCIETY WHERE EVERY HUMANS CHOSE IS MADE FOR THEM. WHEN THEY EAT WHEN THEY SLEEP AND WHEN THEY DIE. A YOUNG
GIRL NAMED CASSIA WILL MAKE A DECISION FOR HERSELF ONCE IN HER LIFE.
14. THE UTOPIA EXPERIMENT
• IN THE BOOK UTOPIA EXPERIMENT A MAN IS
GRIEVED BY THE KILLING OF HIS WIFE AND SETS
OFF ON AN ADVENTURE TO TRY AND BECOME
INDEPENDENT ON HUMANITY. HE USES HIS
MONEY ON TENTS AND INVITES OTHER PEOPLE
ON THIS ADVENTURE. HIS SANITY BECOMES
WEAKER AND THE PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH HIM
ARE LOSING FAITH IN HIS ABILITIES.
15. EXAMPLES OF UTOPIAN BOOKS
• "THE SHAKERS" REMAIN THE ONLY GROUP THAT HAS LASTED UNTIL PRESENT DAY AND ARE NOW LOCATED IN
RURAL MAINE. THEIR UTOPIA INVOLVED SPLITTING UP BOTH GENDERS IN WORK AND LIFE AND OVERALL LIVING
THE SIMPLE LIFE.
• "COMPLEX MARRIAGE" WAS A SYSTEM WHERE TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE WAS REJECTED AND A COUNCIL WOULD
DICTATE WHICH PARTNERS MAY HAVE CHILDREN. MOTHERS WOULD CARE FOR THE YOUNG BUT OLDER CHILDREN
WOULD BE INCORPORATED.
• "BOATLOAD OF KNOWLEDGE" A GROUP OF SCIENTISTS LEFT SOCIETY TO PERUSE THEIR ARTS WHERE THEY WOULD
LEAD SIMPLE LIVES THAT WOULD SET THEIR MINDS FREE. THE GROUP COLLAPSED DUE TO INTERNAL ARGUMENTS
AND NO SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS BEING MADE.
• "BROOK FARM" WAS A COMMON GROUND FOR FARMERS TO PLACE THEIR HARVESTS AND THUS BELIEVED THAT
THEY WOULD HELP EACH OTHER OUT DURING THOUGH TIMES AND DURING THE MEANWHILE COULD PURSUE THEIR
OWN SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS. HOWEVER THE GROUP COLLAPSED INTERNALLY.
• "FRUIT LANDS" WAS A FARM CREATED BY TWO IDEALISTIC MEN WHO HAD NO EXPERIENCE IN FARMING. IN
ADDITION THEY PROPOSED STRICT RULES THAT THEY BELIEVED WOULD ENCOURAGE SIMPLE LIFE INCLUDING THE
EXPULSION OF MARRIAGE. THIS CAUSED FRICTION AMONG THE FOLLOWERS AND FELL APART WHEN THE WINTER
CAME.
16. REFERENCES
FIGURE 1; MOCKING_JOE. "THE DIVERGENT SERIES (ALLEGIANT) "THE WALL" SCENE
HD." YOUTUBE. YOUTUBE, 27 JUNE 2016. WEB. 4 OCT. 2016.
FIGURE 2; "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU GRAPHIC." IMAGEBUDDY.
IMAGEBUDDY, 7 JUNE 2013. WEB. 4 OCT. 2016.
FIGURE 3; BECCAPEACE. "INDIVIDUALITY." DEVIAN ART. DEVIAN ART, 23 JULY
2009. WEB. 4 OCT. 2016.
FIGURE 4; NIELVEVO. "MATRIX ARCHITECT SCENE." YOUTUBE. YOUTUBE, 07 JAN.
2013. WEB. 04 OCT. 2016.
FIGURE 5; HOLDENCAULFIELDCAMPION. "1984-ORWELLS CLASSIC BECOMING
MORE RELEVANT BY THE DAY?" LIGHTLIT. WORDPRESS, 6 JULY 2014. WEB. 4 OCT.
2016.
FIGURE 6; CHRISTA COX. "THE WHISTLE BLOWER DILEMA." CHRISTA'S WEB.
WORDPRESS, 1 MAR. 2015. WEB. 4 OCT. 2016.
