English Literature & Creative Writing
The Dystopian Novel and Human Nature
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Subject Area
English Literature & Creative Writing
Start Date
13-4-2018 10:45 AM
End Date
13-4-2018 11:45 AM
Sponsor
Laurie Dashnau (Houghton College)
Description
Although the exact origin of the dystopian genre is debated, literary critics agree that their subjects are timeless. Dystopian novels generally display anxiety about certain structures overreaching themselves and allowing for the creation of undesirable worlds. These structures chiefly take the form of government, technology, and/or pleasure seeking. Much of the literary criticism concerning this genre focuses on these structures and how they often relate to real structures in the time periods in which these novels are written. 1984 was published amidst the reign of fascism and communism; Fahrenheit 451 was written during the rise of television. Each work displays concerns about how the current developments of their time could affect the future. Often overlooked, however, is that the outcome of these novels has a common thread, specifically how these structures result in an altered form of human nature. In my paper, I intend to show how several well-known dystopian novels illustrate this concept of an altered human nature. These novels contest the ideas “that there is something called human nature,” instead entertaining the possibility that human nature is created, that “[m]en are infinitely malleable” (1984). It can be argued that, despite using various modus operandi, all dystopian novels result in a general expression of anxiety about how developing forces within our world can result in the creation of a future world full of people who are no longer human.
The Dystopian Novel and Human Nature
Indianapolis, IN
Although the exact origin of the dystopian genre is debated, literary critics agree that their subjects are timeless. Dystopian novels generally display anxiety about certain structures overreaching themselves and allowing for the creation of undesirable worlds. These structures chiefly take the form of government, technology, and/or pleasure seeking. Much of the literary criticism concerning this genre focuses on these structures and how they often relate to real structures in the time periods in which these novels are written. 1984 was published amidst the reign of fascism and communism; Fahrenheit 451 was written during the rise of television. Each work displays concerns about how the current developments of their time could affect the future. Often overlooked, however, is that the outcome of these novels has a common thread, specifically how these structures result in an altered form of human nature. In my paper, I intend to show how several well-known dystopian novels illustrate this concept of an altered human nature. These novels contest the ideas “that there is something called human nature,” instead entertaining the possibility that human nature is created, that “[m]en are infinitely malleable” (1984). It can be argued that, despite using various modus operandi, all dystopian novels result in a general expression of anxiety about how developing forces within our world can result in the creation of a future world full of people who are no longer human.