Dystopian Fiction

For me, I like the fact that dystopias can take place anywhere. I like reading about the cause that sparked a change, resulting in what's now a dystopian world. For my final project, I want to address the environment of dystopias. Particularly, my life as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. For my final project, I want to show what being in quarantine feels like not just for me, but for probably a majority of people. After all, it's everyone's new reality. My concept is this: If we had to relive the same day of our lives for weeks on end, what would we do? I want to take short 2-3 seconds of what I'm doing throughout the day, for however many days. For the most part, I do the same thing everyday. Wake up, do homework, participate in online classes, work on my thesis, repeat, etc. There's some variance, such as going on runs, working out with my mom, etc. I think it would be cool to document this point in time as well as my experience of it.

The first thing I imagine when I think of the word nature is actually the color green. From there I begin to construct an image of a vibrant and welcoming forest- the kind that inspires you to appreciate all of its beauty and forget about everything else. To me, nature is a safe space. It's alive. It's free. An ideal depiction of nature. Perhaps my idea of nature is inspired by all of the dystopian fiction novels I've read since I was a kid. The concept that nature is a safe haven in contrast to the separate identity that is humanity and its corruptness. I think it's difficult for people to think of the two, nature and humanity, as one and the same. Which is interesting from a new materialist perspective, considering that it advocates for a dissolution of binaries. I think a step in this direction is the fact that nature is also referenced as "mother". And in doing so, we personify the constructs we have of women and mothers on the entity of na

The real world consists of a variety of objects ranging in size, shape, and color. Through their relationships with other objects, these objects are given a purpose. And while everything may not be directly related, everything and everyone is indirectly related in some way. The more direct connections an object has, the more power and influence it carries over others. This concept of New Materialism, as referred to by Jane Bennett, is known as "Thing-power". Within the novel Ready Player One, Ernest Cline distributes a generous amount of Thing-power to objects that in turn help shape the dystopian environment. A large part of the novel takes place in a virtual reality called the Oasis. As the real world deteriorates, people use the Oasis as a distraction to escape from the real world and its problems. So much so, that the two worlds begin to merge. Education, politics, even finances and the economy, become sustained primarily through the Oasis. The vi

Within the Hunger Games , it becomes very obvious the state of oppression the citizens of Panem are being subjected to beneath the gaze of the Capitol. This cultural hegemony is partially due to the panoptic surveillance that the Capitol enforces. And while the Capitol relies on surveillance as a strategy to promote and maintain control over the citizens of Panem, they are able to strengthen its effectiveness by associating disobedience with sovereign power and violence (Connors). An image of the Capitol of Panem in all of its glory. And if we look even closer at the effectiveness of the surveillance and its ability to manipulate the public, we're able to notice a distinction between the rich and the poor Districts. However, effectiveness isn't directly related to wealth. Instead, it's related to technology. Granted, the Districts with more money will be able to have access to more advanced technology, because they can afford it. Whereas in District 12, they