According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of Dystopia is “an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives”. In my opinion, Dystopia is defined as a world and/or society filled with injustice and/or suffering following an attempt at the creation of a utopia.
I chose this definition because as seen repeatedly throughout literature and film, dystopias are the result of individuals in power attempting to establish the perfect Utopia, without the realization that the world is perfectly imperfect. The attempt at perfection contradicts their assumptions and creates more chaos and dysfunction. As seen in the film, Divergent, the creation of factions within the film was meant to decrease the probability of war and violence within the city of Chicago as a test. The creation of the factions was also meant to give everyone a sense of placement as they go through testing to find the place where they will positively and/or productively impact society. This backfired as some individuals did not agree with the choices and/or mindset of their faction or were “divergent” which means they didn’t belong anywhere because pieces of them belonged to every faction. These individuals were homeless wore shredded clothes and begged for food and money. With this, the individuals that did not have a place within this city ultimately led to the city’s downfall; their downfall being the rise of the factionless in power to overthrow the faction who believed their way of life was the correct way of life, erudite (intelligent).
Another example to support this claim is the districts in The Hunger Games. The Districts in The Hunger Games were established by the District to maximize efficiency and/or productivity for the nation as each district was known for their production of a certain material which would be traded amongst the districts for money and more. This also led to the creation of a hierarchy as the lower the number, the richer the district ultimately with The Capital being the richest of them all. This was also important because the richer the district the more likely tributes were to get sponsored by big names and more likely to stay alive during the Games. Individuals’ lives were based on their hierarchy in society, which ultimately again led to the district’s downfall as the individuals who were pushed underground and seen as lesser ross against those in power. Those in power responded by killing the individuals they created with their idea of perfection.