This document discusses dystopias in real life and in works of art and literature. It analyzes several dystopian novels and movies like The Giver, Divergent, Animal Farm, and 1984, connecting themes in them like lack of individuality and totalitarian governments to real historical events like those under Hitler, Stalin, and in the Soviet Union. The document also discusses dystopian elements in the real-life Kowloon Walled City and environmental degradation captured in the artwork "The Prophecy." It concludes that dystopian futures depicted by various artists and authors reflect dystopian tendencies observable in the current world.

1. Real-World Dystopia
Isaac Neumann, Tatyana Okanlomo, Manya
Lamba, Kalina Neubert
Ms. Moreau
Language Arts; Block H
October 2016
Fig. 1. Kowloon Walled City (Quattrocchi)

2. What is a dystopia?
• Dystopia is a place where conditions are
terrible, with society having a harsh or
controlling government, or the
environment has changed.
• Did you know? The word they used to use
for “dystopia” was actually “cacotopia”,
derived from the greek word “kakos”
meaning “bad or wicked”

3. Our task
• Our research question asked us to connect dystopian art, literature,
movie and other forms of media to real life, in order to show what
the creators wanted to say about our modern world
How is apparent in our

4. Lois Lowry – The Giver
• All are safe and equal; adversely
effects freedom
• Can connect to wearing uniforms
in school
• Safety is EVERYTHING;
individuality doesn’t matter
Fig. 2. Giver Cover (Lowry)

5. Veronica Roth - Divergent
• Lack of individuality due to segregation, increases equality and
safety
• Similar to Adolf Hitler's ideals towards individuality
• Committed mass genocide against Jews, “…communists,
homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses and trade unionists, among
others.” (according to the writers at biography.com )
• Individuality must be valued.
Fig. 3. Divergent Cover (Roth) Fig. 4. Hitler Photograph (Unknown)

6. George Orwell
Fig. 5. 1984 Cover (Orwell) Fig. 6. Animal Farm Cover
(Orwell)

7. Animal Farm
• Draws parallels to Soviet Union
• Focuses on Communism; Marxism, Leninsim, Stalinism
• “All animals are equal, some animals are just more equal than
others”
Fig. 7. Soviet Union (Unknown)

8. 1984
• Creates a country under totalitarianism
• Can relate to totalitarianism in Russia and Spain
Fig. 8. 1984 Slogan (Unknown)

9. Nivanh Chanthara- Kowloon
Fig. 9. City of Kowloon Art (Chanthara)
• Nivanh Chanthara- Artist inspired by
dystopia
• Artwork features Kowloon, a modern
day dystopia
• His series “HongWrong”, about Hong
Kong’s dense architecture and
overpopulation

10. Fabrice Monteiro- “The Prophecy”
• Inspired by environmental
degradation in West Africa
• Grew up there, after returning
four years ago he was astounded
by the change in the past 30
years
• “It had gotten very dirty,” –
Monteiro during his chat with the
International Peace Institute
Fig. 10. “The Prophecy” artwork (Fabrice Monteiro)

11. Irish Potato Farmers
• Potato crop from Ireland affected by
Mexican volcano
• Killed off nearly 750,000 people
• Catastrophe
• An event that could have lead to a
dystopia

12. Dystopia in our world?
• Are there elements of dystopia in our
world? Yes.
• Our world shows many examples of
dystopia, which artists such as Nivanh
Chanthara, and writers such as George
Orwell and Lois Lowry try to express
through their pieces of art and writing.

13. Bibliography
Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Livonia, MI: Houghton Mifflan Harcourt, 1993. Print.
Mavenscientists.com. (2016). The Giver PDF Free Ebook Download - Lois Lowry. [online] Available at:
http://www.mavenscientists.com/2014/09/the-giver-pdf-free-ebook-download-lois.html [Accessed 29 Sep. 2016].
"Adolf Hitler Biography." Biography. Biography, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
Roth, Veronica. Divergent. New York: Katherine Tegen, 2013. Print.
"Russian Revolution." History. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016. <http://www.history.com/topics/russian-revolution>.
"Spain - THE FRANCO YEARS." Spain - THE FRANCO YEARS. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.
<http://countrystudies.us/spain/22.htm>.
"USSR Established." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-
history/ussr-established>.
"Vladimir Lenin." Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016. <http://www.biography.com/people/vladimir-lenin-9379007>.
"1984, Themes, Motifs and Symbols." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/1984/themes.html>.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and World, 1954. Print.
Dean, Mike, and George Orwell. 1984. Harlow: Pearson Education, 2003. Print.
"Cacotopia Definition." The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.

14. Image Bibliography
Quattrocchi, Joseph. Kowloon Walled City. N.d. Pinterest, Hong Kong.Pinterest. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
<https://za.pinterest.com/pin/120119515038030755/>.
Animal Farm Cover. Digital image. Tewt. n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
1984 Cover. Digital image. Bloomfield. Bloomfield., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016. <http://www.bloomfieldreview.com/book-cover-1984-
copy/>.
The Giver Cover. Digital image. Amazon. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016. <https://www.amazon.com/Giver-Quartet-Lois-
Lowry/dp/0440237688>.
Hitler Image. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%BChrer>.
Divergent Cover. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divergent_(novel)>.
Soviet Union. Digital image. Fort RUSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016. <http://www.fort-russ.com/2015/09/the-three-deaths-of-
soviet-union-part-1.html>.
"Russian Revolution." History. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016. <http://www.history.com/topics/russian-revolution>.
"Spain - THE FRANCO YEARS." Spain - THE FRANCO YEARS. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.
<http://countrystudies.us/spain/22.htm>.
"USSR Established." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-
history/ussr-established>.
"Vladimir Lenin." Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016. <http://www.biography.com/people/vladimir-lenin-9379007>.
"1984, Themes, Motifs and Symbols." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/1984/themes.html>.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and World, 1954. Print.
Dean, Mike, and George Orwell. 1984. Harlow: Pearson Education, 2003. Print.