Utopia and Dystopia

Utopia: fictional text dealing with an ideal society

Dystopia: fictional text dealing with a futuristic and perfectly

organized society human freedom is limited intensed to warn the reader about totalitarianism writer predicts and depicts a futuristic society through the

exaggeration of certain aspects demontration of what may happen in the future if

contemporary society continues on a certain part

Handmaid’s Tale

List of characteritic dystopian elements of the HT: futuristic (new inventions) strict totalitarian regime → freedom is limited dangerous: pollution catastrophy, totalitirian regime everything is strictly organized no information which is not filtered (no reading) exaggeration of religion and role of women base on already known facts conflict between individual and society (individualism vs.

totalitarianism manipulated language

Commanders

Angels

Guardians

Commander’s wives

male employees

marthas, servants

poorer men and women

handmaids

Unwomen

Language of first person narrator: associative jumps in times fragmentary thoughts plays with words reflections upon language underscores feelings very much reflection upon past and present everyday-language

no communicative interaction possible

→ creates an authentic and convincing first person narrator