This is a presentation about dystopia which is very informative about the topic. It also provides good examples of other books that can be read by the reader.

1. Dystopian Literature
TeenTechUniversity, ©2017

2. Journal Entry
● Respond in your writer’s
notebook.
● Your entries need to be at
least ¾ of a page.
● Once you are done, take a
picture and submit to the
assignment in your module.
Address all the parts of this prompt
in your response.
● Write about a time when you
convinced someone to do
something or buy something or
believe something?
● What was it?
● How did you convince them?
● Do you think you are good at
convincing people?

3. What a Strange New World...
Imagine a world
where you are
trapped. There is no
freedom. You have
no choices. You are
told what to do and
when to do it. You
cannot protest. You
cannot fight back; for
if you do, you will be
destroyed...
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Matched by Ally Condie

4. 4
What is dystopia?
Dystopia is a futuristic fictional world.
The elements of a dystopian setting include:
❏ An oppression of society
❏ Control is often maintained through a totalitarian
government.
❏ Fear is instilled through a threat of violence.
❏ Propaganda is used to prevent independent
thought or to “brainwash” citizens.
❏ People live under constant surveillance and have
few rights or freedoms.

5. WHERE DID THIS HORRIFIC IDEA OF A DYSTOPIAN
WORLD COME FROM? What sort of sick person...

6. Dystopian worlds frequently serve as a criticism of our
CURRENT society and is intended to be a warning of the
direction where our world may be heading IF change is not
implemented.
Dystopian Worlds

7. Utopia vs Dystopia

8. Utopia vs Dystopia
The word "dystopia" is the commonly used antonym for "eutopia" or
utopia. Utopia is a place or setting that is ideal or perfect especially in
laws, government, and social conditions.
‘Utopia’ owes its existence to Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), whose 1516
work Utopia introduced the word into English.
Utopia is a pun, designed to put us in mind of the Greek u-topos (‘no
place’) and eu-topos (‘good place’). Utopias, Sir Thomas More appears to
be saying, are too good to be true.

9. The Meaning of “Dystopia”
If ‘utopia’ denotes an ideal or dream society, ‘dystopia’ is the
word used to refer to an imagined nightmare world – normally
the world of the future.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the noun
“dystopia” is defined as “an imaginary place or condition in
which everything is as bad as possible.”

10. What are the characteristics of a
dystopian society?

11. In a Dystopian Society:
❏ The majority are oppressed by a ruling elite.
❏ Citizens are afraid and distrustful of the “outside world.”
❏ Documents and books that were written from or about the past or
banned or have been destroyed.
❏ Everyone must conform to uniform rules or expectations.
❏ Originality or any act of nonconformity is deemed undesirable or
even considered to be a criminal act.
❏ Dystopias present an illusion that the society is a utopia.

12. Appearance vs Reality

13. What a Strange New World...
The society that is depicted in
Lois Lowry’s The Giver appears to
be utopian - a perfect world as
envisioned by its creators.
It has eliminated fear, pain,
hunger, illness, conflict, and
hatred—all things that most of
us would like to eliminate in our
own society.
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14. The reality is a living nightmare.

15. How are dystopian societies
controlled and oppressed?

16. Corporate Control
One or more organizations maintain control over
society through advertising or the media.
Bureaucratic Control
Society is controlled by a mindless bureaucracy,
excessive regulations, and incompetent government
officials.

17. Technological Control
Humans are controlled by technology, computers, or by scientific
methods that force them to conform.
I, Robot Movie Trailer The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

18. Religious/Philosophical Control
Society is controlled by philosophical or religious ideology often
enforced through a dictatorship or theocratic government.
Neal Shusterman’s novel, Unwind, depicts a society where unwanted teens
are salvaged for their body parts.
Three runaways fight the system that would “unwind” them. Connor’s
parents want to be rid of him because he’s a troublemaker. Risa has no
parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev’s unwinding has
been planned since his birth, as part of his family’s strict religion.
Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three
unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing
their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth
birthday, they can’t be harmed

19. Religious/Philosophical Control
Unwind: Movie Trailer

20. What are the common traits of
dystopian protagonists?
Maze Runner
Ender’s Game
Divergent

21. Dystopian Protagonists
❏ Often feels trapped and is struggling to escape.
❏ Challenges and questions the beliefs, political, and social systems
in his or her society.
❏ Feels that something is wrong or unjust.
❏ Reveals the negative qualities of the dystopian setting from his or
her perspective.
❏ Decides fighting back or escaping is worth any potential risks.

22. As a reader how can you recognize a
dystopian setting?

23. Now just a minute here....
Something appears “off” within the first few paragraph or
pages within the text.

24. Dystopian Alert!
Red Flags
The story takes place in the future, but the description of the setting sounds
primitive.
Outrageous, bizarre, or unjust aspects of living in a dystopia are presented as
normal to the reader and accepted by the majority.
Much has been destroyed by war.
There is a central figure or ruling body who
makes all decisions for others.

25. What can dystopian literature
or film teach us?
Only the reader or viewer can answer that!

26. The Veldt

27. Journal Entry #8
After a nuclear bomb destroyed the world, a new
society was created where teens have developed
strange powers. Complete the story.
*Remember that Journal Entries are an entry in your writer’s notebook, minimum of
¾ of a page, and submitted via picture to the assignment..

28. “2BRO2B”

29. “The Ones Who
Walk Away from
Omelas”