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© 2018 IJCRT | Volume 6, Issue 4 Dec 2018 | ISSN: 2320-2882
Utopian and Dystopian Literature: a comparative study Dr.P.N.Madhusudana Asst Professor and Head. Department of English (UG) Government Arts College (Autonomous) Chitradurga
Abstract “All utopias are dystopias. The term “dystopia” was coined by fools that believed a “utopia” can be functional.” A.E. Samaan Literature, over the ages, has been influenced by the psychologies of people living in changing times. That is how literature is classified into various genres. The utopia and its derivative, the dystopia, are two such genres (opposite to each other) of literature that explore social and political structures. Where Utopian fiction portrays a setting that agrees with the author’s ethos and is portrayed as having various attributes that readers often find to be characteristic of that which they would like to implement in reality or utopia, as the setting for a novel. Whether in Dystopian fiction, the opposite is the portrayal of a setting that completely disagrees with the author’s ethos and is portrayed as having various attributes that readers often find to be characteristic of that which they would like to avoid in reality, or dystopia. Many novels combine both, often as a metaphor for the different directions humanity can explore, ending up with one of two possible futures. Both utopias and dystopias are commonly found in science fiction and other speculative fiction genres, and arguably are by definition a type of speculative fiction. “Utopia” and “dystopia” are actually two sides of a coin. Generally, these picture a science fiction setting of two extreme points. Literature also explains the two in a more profound way. But by definition, “utopia” is a society or community setting wherein the people experience the ideal and most perfect life possible. There are nothing called rules; humanity is given full freedom to explore everything possible (except imperfections). By contrast, “dystopia” highlights the complete opposite, which is a place of extremely unpleasant living and working conditions for most people. Most or all of the societal and governmental systems are bad in a dystopia. “Utopia” is what many would think as a paradise. The term was first coined by Thomas Moore in his official publication entitled “Utopia” back in 1516. In his utopia, he described an imaginary and solitary island where everything seems to be running smoothly. It’s like looking at blue skies, warm and bright sunlight, working in clean, spacious buildings, living with friendly individuals, going to work happily, and harmoniously coexisting with everyone. However, there’s a reason why many acknowledge a utopia as a pure work of fiction. Keywords: utopia, dystopia, Thomas More, literature, fiction
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