By definition, a dystopia is “an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives.” Based on my experience with films and books, I would define a dystopia as being a place where citizens have essentially lost all freedoms and are living in a world that has been overtaken by violence and they are under control by a single figure or concept.
I have read and watched several dystopian books and movies including The Divergent Series, The Hunger Games Series, The city of Ember, The Giver, and The Platform. The one thing most of these movies/books had in common was the idea of survival. In a world where resources might be limited and there is no order, it really comes down to survival of the fittest, and most times, people resort to violence in these situations. For example, in The Hunger Games, there were 12 districts, and two tributes from each district (a boy and a girl) were chosen by their government to fight until the death of all other players because there could only be one winner. In the Divergent series, they were living in this post-apocalyptic “bubble” under the control of a governing body of “eliete” people. In most of these movies, people have lost their individuality, their freedoms are restricted, and they are constantly under surveillance by the government. Speaking out against just about anything could result in punishment, and that is the case in most dystopian movies. Dystopias create a false sense of reality.
