As this class comes to an end I honestly don’t think my definition of a dystopia has changed much. I think the definition I chose in the beginning of the semester is still fitting, but could use some slight specifications. My original definition of a dystopia is a real or imagined society in which a mirage of peace is maintained through authoritarian rule, the ignorance of the masses, or the marginalization of a group of people. I really like this definition because I feel as if this offers a solution for being able to give a definition that won’t be confused with a Post-Apocalyptic society. Originally, the thing I wanted to emphasize the most in my definition of a dystopia is that it’s not a place that’s horrible for everyone. However, I think I should change my definition to include the fact that there is suffering in these places. Therefore, my new definition of a dystopia is a real or imagined society on which a mirage of peace maintained by authoritarian control, ignorance of the masses, or the marginalization of a group of people overshadows the immense suffering of the general public. I think this definition fits a lot better because not only does it highlight the defining features of a dystopia we’ve talked about as a class such as propaganda, violence, or privacy invasion, but it addresses the suffering too. I think its most important to recognize that the suffering doesn’t exist for the people at the top only the general public or those at the bottom of society. This is important to highlight because as seen through reading the five faces of oppression in order for oppression to occur in any capacity there must be an imbalance of power between societal groups. Similar to that of the Hobbesian Jungle, in a dystopia men will conflict and cause havoc for the sake of keeping what they have, thus those at the top don’t mind suffering so long as they are fine. I also still believe that if society was bad for literally everybody, people would find a way to fix it. I think due to human nature one man’s Utopia is another man’s Dystopia.
