A dystopia is a society that uses systems of fear to control and or exploit its citizens.
In this class, we explored different ideas of dystopias and utopias as read in the five faces of oppression, and a dystopia can encompass one or all five categories. Those categories are exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural domination, and violence. A dystopia that employs fear systems utilizes violence and powerless as its primary medium of control. This is also seen in Brown Girl in a Ring; it just so happens that their faith is what gave them the means to beat the system.