The Journey of Hope in Dystopian Fiction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7221182Keywords:
Utopia, dystopia, critical dystopia, anti-anti-utopianism, cynicism, CapitaloceneAbstract
Utopian dreams and thought have become the symbol of humanity’s hopes and yearnings throughout different times and cultures. Dystopian narratives are not typically associated with hope as they produce nightmarish scenarios by extrapolating current anxieties and fears to the future. However, it is misleading to assert that dystopias lack hope because they depict dark worlds. Many dystopias retain the utopian impulse and hope in their cautionary critique. They aim to engender the desire to change and create a better future in the readers. In this context, there is a strong relation between utopia and dystopia that does not rely on a binary opposition. That is to say, utopia is not the antonym of dystopia or vice versa. Based on this approach, our study analyses the utopian impulse, the generic transformation of utopian and dystopian fiction, and the intertwined relationship between dystopian reality and hope.
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