Dystopia A dystopian society is the opposite of a utopian society, where living is imperfect because of misery, poverty, terror, corruption, and oppression. Dystopian literature often shows little hope for a society whose citizens suffer from paranoia, the fear of being monitored, betrayed, or manipulated. The term was coined by John Stuart Mill in 1868 . There was an awareness of environmental damage, a rapid progression of technology, capitalistic trends becoming popular, as well as the fear of machines or technology overpowering man.

Elements of Dystopia Strict conformity Propaganda to control citizens Secret rules of society Backstory of war or other disaster Class Conflict Genetic manipulation A protagonist that questions Futuristic setting Advancement in technology

Six Features of Totalitarianism Central control of the society by the state One existing political party State-controlled media Ruthless secret police A “god-like” national figurehead An ideology that takes priority over law, religion, and individual conscience Totalitarianism A form of government where an absolute authority has total control of society.

Pick one of the following & write a short fictional narrative. You will be graded on how well you create a dystopian setting, and your protagonist. Refer to your notes. Worldwide Entertainment Monitoring offers an unusual service: anyone with an account is watched 24/7. WEM tracks the music they listen to, the books they read, the movies they watch, the food they eat, and much more. Also, they can use the service to find users with similar tastes, who will make excellent friends or romantic partners. Unbeknownst to them, the government also keeps track of the data, using it to predict crimes. If you read the same books as a murderer, you are considered “suspicious,” and immediately arrested. In order to keep the population under control, the government gives away a drug called “Bliss.” As the name implies, the drug keeps everyone perfectly happy and content, virtually eliminating political unrest. It also lowers their lifespan, insuring that the planet never gets too crowded. When some people are reluctant to take the pills, the government simply dumps the drug into the water supply. A small group of rebels must search for uncontaminated water, so they can be clear-headed enough to challenge the government. Or if you have an idea of your own, you may write about that…as long as you create your dystopian setting and your protagonist.