A dystopia is an imaginary reality where people are generally living in strife or fear of something or someone that is evil and has the capability of doing great harm to their world.
A dystopian society is one that nobody wants to live in. It is the opposite of a utopian society which is the ideal place to be or live. In a dystopia, people are living their lives afraid and are powerless against some sort of higher power. My first example of a fictional dystopia is in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In a futuristic American metropolis, Guy Montag is a fireman who destroys books. Firemen in Montag’s universe set fires rather than put them out. In this society, people do not read, appreciate nature, spend time alone, think independently, or engage in meaningful discussions. Instead, they drive very quickly and watch a lot of TV on screens that take up entire walls in their homes. The government in this society oppresses the people and controls what they are allowed to view and learn. Montag and others in this novel are fearful of the government’s power and question why they are so against the reading of books. Another example of a dystopia is living in the world of Attack on Titan as an Eldian on the island of Paradis. The Eldians live in fear of the massive quasi-human beasts known as titans that attack villages and eat humans. The Eldians live within the protection of a number of stone walls for a long time until the armored and colossal titan destroy them. The people of Paradis are very fearful of life outside of their walls and are oppressed by the man-eating titans making their world a dystopia.
