Dystopias: Definition and Characteristics

Critical Research Portfolio

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
RESEACH PROPOSAL..................................................................................................................1
Background..................................................................................................................................1
Topic............................................................................................................................................1
Research Objectives.....................................................................................................................1
Research Questions......................................................................................................................1
Rationale......................................................................................................................................2
CRITICAL APPROACH.................................................................................................................2
Meaning of Dystopia...................................................................................................................2
Exploring the social and political structure by dystopia..............................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERNCE.....................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
This critical research would be based on the novel which was written by George Orwell
in the year 1949 named Nineteen Eighty Four (1984) which is set on the Airstrip that is Oceania.
The novel was written in the genre of Dystopia, political and that of social science indicating the
political ideology and replacing the English with government invented language. In this critical
proposal or approaches, researcher would be focusing on the issues or problems that might or
might not be existing in today’s society.
RESEACH PROPOSAL
Background
The monopoly government that are often termed to as tyranny are those who are trying to
suppress people of their state through illegal use of power and money which they are having. In
this way, party who is in power is using their power entirely to earn money for their own and
neglecting that of other people in society (Nineteen Eighty Four and the politics of dystopia,
2018). The plot of this novel was focusing on Winston Smith who is the member of Outer Party
working for Ministry of Truth and his job is to rewrite about past article of newspaper. In this
newspaper under which Smith is been employed workers are told that they need to correct what
is been written into old articles of newspaper in reality they are including all wrong information.
Topic
To explore the social and political structure through Dystopia: A study on Dystopian
Fiction Novel “1984” by George Orwell.
Research Objectives
 To identify the meaning of dystopia through fiction novel of George Orwell
 To explore the social and political structure by dystopia
Research Questions
1. What is the meaning of dystopia in the fiction novel of George Orwell 1984?
2. What was the social and political structure in the novel 1984?
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Rationale
The critical research is including mainly what was social and political structure on bases
of dystopia which is that state or community that is very undesirable or frightening and looked
up to as not good place. This type of society would be appearing in many artistic works that are
mostly set up into future aspect common example of this is 1984 novel written by George
Orwell. Dystopia is many time included like that of dehumanisation, monopoly of government
trying to control all operations in their state and often to as environmental disaster. The issue
which this type of fiction novel would be using into are that of societal, politics, economy,
religious and sometimes technological as well. As this is included in form of fiction which is not
real in any sense but these novels which were written by author like that of George Orwell could
several time referred to actually existing communities.
CRITICAL APPROACH
Meaning of Dystopia
According to the Moylan, (2018) it was said that dystopia could be defined to as that
community or society which is majorly undesirable and frightened by this is mainly imaginary
space. In this state, everything seems to be bad or unpleasant or which could also be
environmentally degraded one. So, in this type of state government or any one single party is
having monopoly who is ruling the society with their own purpose and aiming to earn money by
wrong or illegal ways. In this community, there are various other problems related to poverty,
mistrust of public, oppression and environmental disasters as well. Many writers of this dystopia
fiction novel would be exploring one of the aspects of society like either oppression or that of
poverty.
Like in the novel written by George Orwell 1984 in which he described We as the most
influential part in the state of Oceania and it is having perpetual or never ending war situation. It
is been ruled by Big Brother who is controlling whole population via their propaganda they were
also engaged into daily Two Minutes Hate. Under this non-productive activity, they need to
watch a film that focuses on their enemies or rivals and then after watching this, they hate their
enemy for around 2 minutes. Gallo, (2017) included that all what is been included in these types
of fiction novel is not supposed to be real or simply imaginary events that are taking place but all
what the writer is stating into their novel mainly the issues are supposed to be real. Like the
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tyrannical governments are actually existing into societies and due to these state is in state of
destruction or disintegration.
In the novel of George Orwell which was written in 1949, the main theme which he
depicted was that of political issues and situation of Oceania the state which ruled by Big Brother
or the Outer party. Plotting the cast or novel just after the Second World War took place
involving UK and other countries of Europe with the use of Nuclear Weapons
Exploring the social and political structure by dystopia
Wong, Van Wyk & Pierce, (2017, June) included that is fiction which is focusing on
Smith the main character of novel he is the member of Outer party which is having view to gain
all sort of power to rule public for their own profits. Somewhere in the inner sense Smith is also
against the rules and policies of his party which he secretly want to rebel against Big Brother. In
order to do this rebelling with party Smith started to have sexual relationship with one of his
colluege Julia after receiving the details of the party and their wrong doings or illegal activities.
Salas, (2018) said that as per the part of exploring social and political issues thin novel of
George Orwell is amongst the best one as this is containing all content, style and plot which is
describing issues. In this novel, Orwell included official deception, thought crime, misleading
terminology and also, state of manipulation. In his novel, he invented many different things
which actually did not exist in real life sense like that of newspeak, satirises hypocrisy, Ministry
of Love and Ministry of Peace as well (George Orwell's 1984 was published 68 years ago,
2018). The plot of this fiction in Oceania which is the intercontinental super states which was
mainly formed after Second World War. Under which the Ingsoc party which is forming into full
Totalitarian government into Britain in which war is the continues state in country upholding and
supervisory the philosophy of people. Van Wyk & Pierce, (2017, June) included that in this
novel, party who is indulging in preparing rewriting past newspapers article is also destroying
them so that no one will be able to identify or locate the old records. It was also contained that
Smith who is attempting to rebel his party as he is not satisfied with the views was arrested and
then endangered to many forms of torture and forced to horror chamber.
Thus, in this following part there is included that issue of political power and misleading
or suppressing public of society where the representative party is been working. The ill part of
society is been witnessed that is creating problems and issues to manipulate peoples. There are
many class hierarchy into party which is wholly controlling population and whole state is having
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or containing banners of BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU found in every house. This is
the reason of fear into minds and heart of people of the Big Brother and there is regular state of
war into area as said by Moylan, (2018).
CONCLUSION
It was concluded that dystopia cultural which is seen into many novels of George Orwell
and especially into that of 1948 in which only one ruling party is having their impact and fear
into mind of people.
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REFERNCE
Books and Journals:
Salas, J. (2018). Generating Music from Literature Using Topic Extraction and Sentiment
Analysis. IEEE Potentials, 37(1), 15-18.
Gallo, M. (2017). " Blade Runner" and the Cyberpunk Narrative. Is Cyberpunk a Dystopian
Narrative or a Genre of its own?
Moylan, T., (2018). Scraps of the untainted sky: Science fiction, utopia, dystopia. Routledge.
Salas, J. (2018). Generating Music from Literature Using Topic Extraction and Sentiment
Analysis. IEEE Potentials, 37(1), 15-18.
Weber, E., (2017). The anti-utopia of the twentieth century. In Utopia (pp. 81-89). Routledge.
Wong, R. Y., Van Wyk, E., & Pierce, J. (2017, June). Real-Fictional Entanglements: Using
Science Fiction and Design Fiction to Interrogate Sensing Technologies. In Proceedings of
the 2017 Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (pp. 567-579). ACM.
Online:
George Orwell's 1984 was published 68 years ago. 2018. [Online]. Accessed through:
<https://www.firstpost.com/living/george-orwells-1984-was-published-68-years-ago-other-
dystopian-novels-that-now-hit-home-3531347.html>.
Nineteen Eighty Four and the politics of dystopia. 2018. [Online]. Accessed through:<
https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-literature/articles/nineteen-eighty-four-and-the-politics-of-
dystopia>.
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