Utopia Dystopia

Exploring Dystopian Characteristics Through Film: Decoding The Matrix English II (10th Grade) Mrs. Humphreys

State Standards Addressed English II Standard 7 - Media SPI 3002.7.1 Draw an inference from a non-print medium. SPI 3002.7.2 Select the type of conflict represented in a non-print medium. SPI 3002.7.6 Infer the mood represented in a non-print medium.

Notes Sheet Directions: As we move through the lesson, fill in the blanks with the correct information. The answers will be in BOLD FONT.

What is a Utopia? Utopia: A place, state, or condition that is perfect in politics, laws, traditions, customs, and conditions.

What was your definition? Utopia What was your definition? 1. an ideal place or state. 2. any visionary system of political or social perfection. (Source: Dictionary.com) *Utopia  literally: no place, from Greek ou  not + topos  a place* Utopian refers to human efforts to create a perfect society.

Utopian Concepts A beautiful society with a general pacifistic attitude No poverty or misery Very few laws (if any) Money is not needed People do only work that they enjoy and which benefits the common good

What is a Dystopia? Dystopia: A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, government, technological, or moral control. Dystopias are worst-case scenarios that make a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or political system.

What was your definition? Dystopia What was your definition? 1. an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives (Source: Merriam-Webster.com) 1. an imaginary place where people are unhappy and usually afraid because they are not treated fairly (Source: LearnersDictionary.com) Dystopian is the opposite of utopian; it is often a utopia gone “sour”, a place or where everything is as bad as it could possibly be.

Characteristics of a Dystopian Society • Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society. • Information, independent thinking, and freedom are restricted and controlled. • A figurehead or concept is worshipped by the citizens of the society. • The natural world is banished and distrusted.

Characteristics of a Dystopian Society • Citizens: -are under constant surveillance -have a fear of the outside world -live in a dehumanized state -conform to uniform expectations • Individuality and opposition are bad • Society is an illusion of a perfect utopian world

Types of Dystopian Controls • Corporate control • Government control • Technological control • Philosophical/Religious control

Man vs. Society (Government, Corporate, Technology) Types Of Conflict Man vs. Man Man vs. Society (Government, Corporate, Technology) Man vs. Nature Man vs. Self

Corporate control One or more large companies control society through products, advertising, and/or the media.

Government control Society is controlled by a mindless government through a tangle of red tape, harsh regulations, and incompetent government officials.

Technological control Society is controlled by technology—through computers, robots, and/or scientific means.

Philosophical/Religious control Society is controlled by philosophical or religious beliefs which are enforced through a dictatorship or a “divinely guided” government.

The Dystopian Protagonist… • feels trapped and is struggling to escape • questions the existing social and political systems • believes or feels that something is terribly wrong with the society in which he/she lives •helps the audience recognize the negative parts of the dystopian world through his/her perspective.

Dystopia in entertainment Not everything is a perfect fit “Tweaking” for irony It all boils down to $$$$$$$

The Matrix Summary Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives. By day he is an average computer programmer and by night a hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality, but the truth is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines that live off of the humans' body heat and electrochemical energy and who imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents: super-powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion. 

Graphic Organizer for The Matrix Movie Clips Directions: After each clip is viewed, write how the clip shows/demonstrates a dystopian world in the corresponding boxes.

Clip 1: “The Choice – Going down the Rabbit hole” Dystopian Characteristics: • The characters feel trapped and struggle to escape. • The characters question the existing social and political systems. • The characters believe something is terribly wrong with the society they live in.

Clip 2: “Slimy Re-birth” Dystopian Characteristics: • Technology is the controlling factor of this society. • The characters feel trapped and struggle to escape. • Citizens live in a “dehumanized” state

Clip 3: “The Real world” Dystopian Characteristics: • The setting is an illusion of a perfect utopian society. • Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted. • Citizens live in a “dehumanized” state. • The natural world is banished and distrusted.

Clip 4: “The Gatekeepers” Dystopian Characteristics: • Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted. • Citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance. • Technology is the controlling factor of this society.

Dystopian Novels usually include elements of contemporary society are seen as a warning against some modern trend used as cautionary tales (apocalypse!) humankind is put into a society that may look inviting on the surface but in reality…is a nightmare

Dystopian Novels 1984 Brave New World Fahrenheit 451 A Clockwork Orange Animal Farm The Time Machine Life As We Knew It The Hunger Games The Giver

Fahrenheit 451 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953) The story takes place in the twenty-first century, in an America where books are banned. Society feels that “opinion” books contain conflicting theories which are disruptive to society. The penalty for owning one is having one's house and books burnt by "firemen." 451° F is stated as “the temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns…”

Life As We Knew it Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (2008) Told in a year’s worth of journal entries, this heart-pounding story chronicles Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world. The natural world is gone due to a major disaster The current world is feared and people are driven into chaos Apocalyptic

TOTD (Ticket out The Door) Follow the directions on the handout, and turn it in before you leave.