UWS 33A — Dystopic Worlds

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This course introduces students to the power of writing as a means of communication and a process of thinking and understanding. As students complete a series of writing assignments, they will engage in a process of reading, drafting, reviewing and revising, working in peer groups and individually with their instructors.
What constitutes an ideal world? The word utopia, taken from Sir Thomas Moore’s 1516 text of the same name, describes one such type of imagined ideal community in which social issues such as poverty, violence and disease are largely eliminated. In contrast, dystopias present us with imagined societies characterized by despotic regimes, ecological catastrophe, and widespread disease. With works such as The Hunger Games series, the TV version of The Handmaiden’s Tale, and so many more, dystopian fiction is currently experiencing quite the revival. Yet dystopias do not merely exist within fiction, they are a very real part of our world. It could even be argued that the popularity of dystopian fiction today is indicative of an increasing anxiety regarding the myriad potential dystopias that lurk just beyond the horizon. Within this course, we will examine popular dystopian fiction and film of the 20th and 21st centuries and connect the themes we encounter with real-world issues. In doing so, we will consider the ways in which dystopian worlds contend with a vast array of themes and topics, including (but not limited to) inter/national politics, ethics, society-building, war and violence, environmental concerns, and issues of race and gender.
Carissa Wilbanks

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