PB1A: Dystopian Novels
Dystopian novels have become quite
popular, especially among young adults.
A very popular one right now is The Hunger Games. A dystopia is a society that is far from
perfect, often filled with chaos and conflict. A dystopian novel is often aimed
at young adults because they are easily captivating and often action- filled.
Naturally one of the goals of the author is to sell many copies, and one of the
best ways to do so is to start a huge fanbase such as with The Hunger Games.
A strong passionate fan base can generate a lot of revenue not only from book
sales but merch, and maybe even a movie deal. Often, young adults are targeted
because they are frequently part of large trends which facilitate these fan
bases.
The very nature
of a dystopian novel is filled with clashing ideals and physical power
struggles. Dystopian novels often are characterized by a totalitarian
government. This is a very important part of the story because it sets up an
antagonist or villain. A totalitarian government seeks to control all aspects
of public and private life. This is probably another very important part of why
dystopian novels are aimed at young adults and teens. Teenagers and young
adults naturally have a “rebellious” nature, or at least a desire to deviate from
the rules at some point. With dystopian novels they can live out this fantasy
in an action crammed thriller. They can
often identify with the main character, which is most likely a young adult or
teenager themselves. For example the main character in The Hunger Games
is 16, in the Maze Runner he is under 18 , and in Insurgent she is
again 16. This is part of the appeal of these novels, because the reader can
find empowerment or inspiration in this character who is around the same age as
they are.
Another aspect
of dystopian novels is that the government or group in power often tries to
disguise the society as perfect, or as a utopia. Often the novel begins
describing this “perfect” society until the reader slowly begins to notice the
strange features of it. The author can
use this approach to make the novel more appealing because it takes on an aspect
of surprise or mystery. One such example is in The Giver, a novel about
a failed utopia, where the reader slowly starts to realize the faults in the
society. The first time Jonas, the protagonist, sees color in an apple or finds
out that babies are killed through lethal injection, are certainly gripping
parts of the novel.
Dystopian
novels also often take place in the future. The author might use this approach
to create an ominous, eerie tone. Dystopian novels are often quite dark. They
also usually reveal a significant reason for why the society is the way it is.
For example, in The Hunger Games it is explained that the reason for the
games is because the districts rebelled against the government. The games are a yearly reminder for the
citizens of the consequences for any opposition. The author is using pathos to
evoke a sense of injustice. The reader is drawn in by this, rooting for the
citizens to find redemption and overcome the totalitarian’s unjust rule.
I love how you broke down all the characteristics and conventions of Dystopian novels. I had never really realized all the similarities Dystopian novels have. I also liked the point you made about how most include a "totalitarian government" and some sort of enemy is created by that. Your point about the story revolving around a young adult becoming empowered is also really cool because i never realized that similarity.
ReplyDeleteYour topic was such a great topic because I used to enjoy reading dystopian novels. Your insight on how it targets younger generation, especially teens appeared to be spot on. I completely agree that dystopian novels seem to relate with teens because of the tendency or the belief that teenagers are at a rebellious stage and want to fight against the current system. I liked how you showed the similarities of all these dystopian novels that I never realized until I read your post. Also I found it funny that you included that these authors or writers are trying to make a profit from their works. I did not really think of that as a convention or what makes this novel captivating, but once you included that it made me think of these novels in a different light. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really cool topic to choose. I really dig dystopian novels and it was very interesting to read how you broke everything down into conventions. I really love that you talked about how governments in dystopian novel societies often attempt to present the society as a utopia. That’s one of the most fascinating aspects of dystopian novels to me, and it was really interesting to hear your take on it. I also really liked that you pointed out these novels often take place in the future. It never really occurred to me before, and after thinking about it I now get the sense that part of what makes them so eerie to me is the thought that they present possible outcomes for our own society years from now. Overall, you presented really good and interesting points and broke down the genre in a very cool and understandable way. Really good job!
ReplyDeleteThis is so thorough and well-thought-out. You did an excellent job of providing multiple examples, allowing for a larger possible audience to relate to your post. Referring to The Giver was very beneficial to your post because although it includes many of the same conventions as the others, it was written quite some time before them; while it may be less "fantasy" oriented than The Hunger Games or Insurgent, it still contains many of the same concepts and follows a similar pattern in its quest for a "perfect society." You thought of some conventions that are not necessarily obvious, such as taking place in the future and the "disguising" of the society, which even further increased the apparent similarities among the genre. Overall, great ideas about a unique genre that are well-presented!
ReplyDeleteGreat textual genre choice!
ReplyDeleteI personally love dystopian novels and have read all the novels you listed as examples! I definitely agree that a dystopian novel is very captivating and how the use of rebellion and other themes fit towards the intended audience. Its great that you gave short summaries of the novels and used that to tie these different novels to one specific textual genre. I liked how you pointed out how the reader would find faults to the first-thought-to-be utopia because of how the author uses pathos. Other great dystopian novels ( for your interest) that I would recommend would be Fahrenheit 451, The Messenger, and Gathering Blue.