History of a Dystopia: Unit 3 Context Notes

What is Communism? Communism - a government where people shared work fairly and were paid equally. The word “Communism” comes from the Latin word “Communis” which means common or belonging to all. Karl Marx founded this economic system in 1848 with his book The Communist Manifesto

Marx did not like that….. The rich get richer. The poor get poorer. So he and others……. wanted to make everything equal. to get rid of social classes

Do you agree? Or disagree? Based off of what you know, do you think Communism is a good idea? If yes: explain why If no: what are potential dangers of Communism?

Capitalism An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.

Basics of Capitalism: Capitalism is said to promote economic growth and the overall standard of living. In other words, capitalism creates CAPITAL (money) …and lots of it.

Basics of Capitalism: Buyers (people) influence the market through their demand and ability to purchase goods and services. There is very little government intervention. Producers (businesses) are motivated by profit (money) and therefore create whatever goods people will buy. In other words, the businesses run the economy, the government stays out of it!

Do you agree? Or disagree? Based off of what you know, do you think Capitalism is a good idea? If yes: explain why If no: what are potential dangers of Capitalism?

Problems with Communism: Lack of individuality Lack of choice Equal treatment for all, even if you work harder than all the rest

Problems with Capitalism: There is a growing gap between the rich and the poor. The rich get richer and the people who work for them remain poor.

So what is the best solution? Do you believe that Communism or Capitalism is a better economic system? “Yes” = Capitalism “No” = Communism Be sure to you specific reasons to support your answer.

World History In the 1920s, Russia became the Soviet Union and adopted Communism as its economic system After World War II in 1945, the U.S. and other capitalist countries felt threatened by the Soviet Union since it was expanding Communism to other countries The Cold War (1945 to 1990) was a time in which the United States and the Soviet Union battled across the globe over which economic system would prevail

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How does this relate to literature? In the 1930s – 1970s, many works were published or created in the United States that illustrated this “fear” of Communism in which the government is all controlling and horrible to the masses.

How does this relate to literature? These works have created a “dystopia” genre that is still popular today. These texts typically feature a protagonist who goes against a totalitarian regime that is looking to dehumanize the regular population.

How do Rand and Bradbury Come Into Play? Ayn Rand, author of Anthem, had lived in the Soviet Union and experienced Communism first hand. When she came to the United States, she spent her life supporting Capitalism and writing novels and stories which paint Capitalism in a good light. (Freedom of Choice)

How do Rand and Bradbury Come Into Play? During the 1950s, the U.S. government imprisoned and blacklisted writers, actors, and other artists who were suspected of supporting Communism. This suppression of information and the government taking control (like a Communist country) angered Bradbury who wrote Fahrenheit 451 which illustrated the dangers of allowing the government to have too much power.