In my words, a dystopia is a society that is facing great suffering and limited freedom. Whether, it is social and economic divides, poverty, environmental destruction, anarchy, or a dictated society. There is widespread fear and distress. I’ve watched a multitude of dystopian movies such as Hunger Games, Divergent, Star Wars, and Percy Jackson. They all share a common theme of the main character finding a way to survive in a damaged society. The main character is usually of a lower status and your class is very important in these types of societies. There is usually a higher class that is untouchable and uses that to its advantage. The divide between the lower class and the higher class is unfairly different. The higher class uses the lower class as pawns in their games. They enjoy watching them fight against each other for the smallest reward. The lower class has no say in the events that occur. They’re basically forced to participate in the games or give up the things that they have.
I’ve also read novels that follow the dystopian society trend. My favorite one was The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The story starts off in the middle of an unknown catastrophe. The people are forced to find food and supplies because most were destroyed. It introduces the “prey vs predator” ideology for some. People start turning against each other, going as far as cannibalism. The main characters, the father and his son, embark on a journey south to find a group known as the “good guys”. Along their journey, they encounter multiple factors that is the aftermath of a lost society. It shows how fast humanity can head into a downward spiral. Also, how fast people can turn on one another to survive. This is why my definition of a dystopian society involves mental and physical suffering.
