Culture and Dystopia



“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”
― George Orwell, 1984

This course will examine select works of dystopian literature within a framework rooted in literary and cultural theory. Post-structural and psychological theory, for instance, will assist us in understanding the implications of dystopian literature in regards to mass culture, politics, and narrative. Like cultural theory, dystopian literature reflects both the ‘what is’ and ‘what if’ of societies, creating a fertile network of thought and perspectives, informing and inspiring readers throughout the ages. In this course we will read three of the most prominent representatives of the dystopian canon, alongside select pieces of cultural theory, allowing each to inform the other, within the Zeitgeist of our time.

Course Reading:
Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four (Penguin Modern Classics, ISBN-13: 978-0141187761)
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451 (Simon & Schuster ISBN-13: 978-1451690316)
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale (Vintage Classics/Vintage Future ISBN-13: 978-1784870966)