Dystopia as Critique of Modernity

Another work from my writing project, this one limited to 418 words.

 Dystopian settings are inherently commentaries on society. They take elements of “normal” society and amplify them until they reach horrific proportions. This is true in hardcore dystopian settings and those where the dystopian vision is a discordant thread. Examples of the former include 1984, Brave New World, and Psycho-Pass. Examples of the latter include Ghost in the Shell and Time of Eve.

One should note that dystopia is not always a source of terror. In 1984, the cruelty and tyranny of Big Brother is blatant and brutal. However, the dystopia of Brave New World and Psycho-Pass are ordered societies seeking to promote the happiness and welfare of its citizens. In Ghost in the Shell, even the heroes are a part of the dystopian vision where they exploit the oppressive nature of their society in order to curb the excesses of other elements within the dystopian order. Time of Eve has a storyline built around a classic theme of dystopia whereby society benefits and is promoted via the suffering of the other, which is played by the android. This theme is also found in LeGuin’s The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.

Fantasy and Science Fiction requires dystopian elements. Their scope is far reaching and the heroes must fight against world spanning corruption. More important is how these elements are manifested. If we take the thread and trace it back to the root that is invariably present within modern society, what is the critique that can be found? An early manuscript of l’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time has  surfaced where the root of her dystopian vision is spelled out in clear terms. The blunt description was removed as an editorial decision, but it indicated that Camazotz came about not as an imposition, but as an encroachment in the name of safety. A look at current trends within the United States indicates that this critique of society is as valid today as it was when A Wrinkle In Time was written.

Dystopia provides a convenient tool for any critique on modernity. This is not to say that the authors of dystopian works are against modernity. However, we can take these critiques of society and expand on them to see that their worries and concerns are a logical expression of current trends within modern society. Since modern society is an expression of modernity, dystopia is a useful tool for showing how modernity may play out. We need to investigate how the forces of modernity resolve into such dystopic vision.