A dystopia is described as a fictitious or hypothetical society with oppressive social, political, or environmental conditions, frequently the consequence of a confluence of several oppressions and power disparities.
The idea of an oppressive society and the experiences of various types of tyranny are closely related to the idea of a dystopia. Incorporating the “Five Faces of Oppression” concept, dystopian civilizations frequently represent many forms of oppression, resulting in a depressing and nightmare-like environment. The dystopia depicted in “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a powerful example of how institutional exploitation, marginalization, and impotence oppress women on the basis of their gender.
According to my interpretation of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the protagonist’s individuality and agency are restrained by a rigid patriarchal system, illustrative of the oppressive restrictions placed on people’s lives. The culture portrayed in the book engages in cultural imperialism by removing the autonomy and agency of women and imposing a strong patriarchal worldview on them. The protagonist’s experience in this source is a dystopian example since it perfectly captures how many oppressions have combined in society.
Similarly, “Brown Girl in the Ring” investigates a dystopian Toronto setting in which underprivileged populations experience violence, exploitation, and marginalization. The neglect of poor areas results in the exploitation of their resources and the isolation of its residents, which highlights economic exploitation.
The five faces of oppression are all experienced concurrently by different oppressed groups in the novel’s world, which serves as an example of how oppression is interrelated.
By including these sources, it becomes clear that dystopias involve a convergence of several oppressive systems that lead to the development of a seriously defective society rather than just one particular kind of tyranny. The “Five Faces of Oppression” concept can be used as a lens to examine the complex character of dystopian societies, where people or groups must deal with violence, exploitation, marginalization, helplessness, and cultural imperialism.
The problem with trying to do this is that people are naturally disobedient beings. Too many distinct sorts of individuals exist in the world to be possible to group them into a small number of easy-to-understand groups.
Restriction is a recipe for rebellion. This is the reason why dystopian worlds never last.
