Escape from Dystopia

by

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

ABSTRACT

A dystopia, by definition, is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian. The term 'dystopia' (which can be referred to as anti-utopia) is a futuristic society that has degraded into a tyrannical and controlled state, often under the mask of being utopian. In '1984' the civilians under the reign of 'Big Brother' are led to believe that the regime they are living under is the correct means of live. The whole dissertation has been divided into 5 chapters. Chapter 1 provides an introduction and background of the study. Chapter 2 provides a review of the literature. Chapter 3 provides the methodology used for this study. Chapter 4 provides the discussion on the major research questions of the study. Finally, Chapter 5 presents the conclusion for this study.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Aim of the research2

Significance of the Research2

Research Questions2

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW3

Dystopia3

The History of Political Dystopia3

The Theory of Political Dystopia4

Utopia - Ideal City7

The Ideal City of the Western Utopian Tradition9

Ideal Cities and Real Cities12

Anti-Utopian and Dystopian Visions13

Dystopia by Orwell14

Disrupting Dystopia with Dystopia: The Challenge of Realism16

The New Dystopian Power: From Envisioning to Action22

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY23

Introduction23

Method Used For This Research23

Philosophical Framework or Paradigm25

Rationale for a Qualitative Study29

Reliability29

Research Validity30

Ethical Considerations30

CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION32

Refiguring Dystopian Fiction32

Reflection of Utopia in Dystopia36

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION38

REFERENCES43

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

No one wants to live in a dystopia, so people strive for a utopia-like world. Sometimes society tries too hard like having a string central government control, too much technological control or just having excessive rules. And so it ends up becoming the citizen's worst nightmare. These kinds of situations are what the novel 1984 and the movie Brazil deal with. In 1984 and Brazil, though both protagonists were in similar situations, their characteristics and government bureaucracy contrasted greatly. Though the plots were similar for both stories, neither protagonist had the characteristics of a hero but was both were affected by females whom became the catalyst for the rebellion. In 1984, the main character, named Winston, established a habit of writing in a diary to express his discontent with the overly controlling government(Wiltshir,1978, Pp 44).

He writes that “This was not illegal but if detected it was reasonably certain that it would be punished by death or at least by twenty-five years in a forced-labour camp.” So the thought of this detection really made him act paranoid about everything. When he noticed that Julia was following him, he assumed she was an agent and wanted to, ...