Utopias and Dystopias

What would we do to attain utopia? The perfect world. Paradise. The Garden of Eden. Throughout time, humans have been constantly motivated by the notion that perfection can be achieved. Without something to work for, an ultimate goal, we would be a helpless species, victim to a despairing and futile life. A vast majority of people in society are working towards a personal and common goal. This common goal for most people is to reach a personal utopia, or one’s opinion of what an ideal society would be.  Sir Thomas Moore, in the early 1500s, displayed this image of the perfect society with his book Utopia, coining the term which we still use today. We are continually working at bettering ourselves and the world we live in, striving to “do better” each day. Is this not brought on by a subconscious desire to attain perfection, impossibility in itself?

 Now, we must also ask ourselves what we would do to survive dystopia. The opposite of utopia, this concept of an utterly ruined society is fascinating. We are drawn in by suffering, and authors commonly use this to their advantage. Literary works use dystopias to highlight the criticisms they wish to make about society. It can be said that modern day society is more representative of a dystopia than a utopia because of its destroyed state. Poverty, corruption, and war plague all corners of the world, and few places remain untouched by the misery that contrasts so well with our images of perfection.

Authors commonly use these portrayals of societies to create themes within their works. If a novel displays features from a utopian viewpoint, the disparity with our society is shockingly strong; on the other hand, when writers illustrate a dystopian setting, we see haunting similarities with our own surroundings. From Brave New World to the Hunger Games, these portrayals of society are used to make a point. The novel Frankenstein compares with a dystopia, at least in the case of Victor Frankenstein. His whole world is enveloped in tragedy and darkness, and we see shockingly unnatural occurrences, an unjust society, and selfish men. Shelley demonstrates a wide variety of themes within her work, and they are made clear by suffering and wretchedness, dystopian characteristics.  These portrayals of society are extremely interesting to read, and many successful literary writers have used these topics in their works to display a variety of themes.

Utopias and dystopias, two paradoxes, represent the split inner being within mankind. Yin and Yang. Man and Woman. Good and Evil. Balance between the two is essential for the development of our souls. Although most favor utopia to dystopia, factors from both are necessary in this world so that each individual can make the choices that shape their character. Without two opposing alternatives, and the free will to choose between them, we would be lost, forced to a predetermined life of either good or evil. What would be the point? What would we have to live for??