Dystopia Unseen Mega docs
Maddie, Roshy, Ella, and Mariya
The 1800s Context
Mariya
1760 - 1840s
Industrial rev
- Societal, economic, and technological Change
- Transition from primarily agrarian and handcrafted economies to industrialised and
machine-driven ones
- Period that inspired the creation of science fiction
- Rise of machinery and mechanisation sparked fear of unchecked advancement
Social Darwinism ‘survival of the fittest’
- uses Darwin’s theory of evolution to justify oppression, imperialism, racism, eugenics
and social inequality
1820s Cholera outbreak
1848 - Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels publish The Communist Manifesto
Books
Erewhon - Samuel Butler (1872)
● Country where machines are banned because they are believed to have attained
consciousness
● Critiques various aspects of Victorian society, including nature of morality, limitations
of tech and role of institutions
News from Nowhere - William Morris (1890)
● Protagonist awakens in a future society that appears ideal/ utopian but later reveals its
flaws
● Questions societal progress, the impact of industrialisation and the possibility of
creating a perfect society
The Time Machine - H.G. Wells (1895)
● Political commentary of late Victorian England
● Marxist critique of Victorian decadence
● Shows a communist utopia that is ultimately revealed to be an exaggerated future
vision of a capitalist dystopia
- Elois descended from ruling elite
- Simple minded with no ambitions or complex wants
, - Morlocks descended from poor factory workers
- Intelligent but brutal and monstrous
- Satirises negative perceptions of working class
1910 Context
Roshy
American Eugenics
● Race Betterment foundation set up in 1906 by Kellogg
● In the USA, there was a particular focus on eliminating 'negative traits'
● This led to the passing of sterilisation laws, firstly in Indiana in 1907, then all 28 other
states by 1931
● Those who worked on this were also a major force behind the 1924 immigration Act
which set strict quotas to keep America's population safe from 'undesirable’ races
such as Jewish and Asian people
● In California, c. 20,000 sterilisations were performed, often without the knowledge or
consent of the patients
● Disproportionately targeted women of colour
Industrial and Technological Advances
● Technological advances in the C20th became more sinister, something to fear rather
than admire
● More powerful weaponry in WW1 led to tragic and unprecedented (40 million)
casualties
Conflict between capitalism and socialism
● With the rise of industrialisation also came the rise of capitalism as the dominant
political and economic structure of the West
● Critics explored how it generated brutal working conditions and poor standards of
living for workers in spite of technological advances- socialist principles
Modern chemical weaponry
● WW1 (1914-1918): the deployment of chlorine, mustard and phosgene gases caused
1.3 million casualties with 90,00 - 100,00 fatalities
● The use of chemical and biological weapons is seen throughout dystopian fiction: fear
of their usage, creation of apocalyptic wastelands, fundamentally changing society
and its ability to support life
Russian Revolution 1917
● November 7 1917: Lenin led the Bolsheviks, ascribing to Marxism, to seize power
during Russia's October Revolution and become the first communist government.
, ● Later that month, the Socialist Revolutionary Party defeated the Bolsheviks in an
election, but, despite his promises of "bread, land and peace" Lenin used military
force to take power. It's during this period the Red Terror (executions of the Tsar’s
officials), prisoner-of-war labour camps and other pouce state tactics are established
● This promised equality but ended up in authoritarian rule, censorship and the
suppression of dissent
● The difference between revolutionary ideals and the reality of brutal totalitarian states
is a familiar theme of much dystopian literature with an all-controlling regime comes
the suppression of all individual rights and freedoms
● Instead of creating a classless society another powerful ruling elite emerged
● Use of secret police
● Use of propaganda and control of information
● Corruption of power
Also 1918 - 1920 Spanish flu outbreak
1920s Context
Roshy
Emergence of fascism in Europe following WWI
Characteristics:
● authoritarianism
● nationalism
● anti-communist
● militarist
● 1924 - Lenin dies at age 54 and Stalin takes over. START OF STALINIST RUSSIA
● Stalin, who had served as Lenin's general secretary, rose to power through his
nomination as General Secretary for the newly incorporated USSR by Lenin in 1922
● His rise to power was uniquely lacking in violence, but after Lenin's death Stalin was
quick to silence his critics
● industrialised the country through a state-controlled economy, although it led to
famine.
● Under his regime, detractors were deported or imprisoned in labor camps.
● As part of the Great Purge 1 million people were executed
● That same year, Mussolini became the Italian Prime Minister after the National
Fascist Party organised a coup d'état
● A year later in Germany, Hitler's Nazi Party also attempted a coup, the Munich
Putsch, but it was unsuccessful and Hitler was sentenced to a 10-month jail term
during which he wrote Mein Kampf
Maddie, Roshy, Ella, and Mariya
The 1800s Context
Mariya
1760 - 1840s
Industrial rev
- Societal, economic, and technological Change
- Transition from primarily agrarian and handcrafted economies to industrialised and
machine-driven ones
- Period that inspired the creation of science fiction
- Rise of machinery and mechanisation sparked fear of unchecked advancement
Social Darwinism ‘survival of the fittest’
- uses Darwin’s theory of evolution to justify oppression, imperialism, racism, eugenics
and social inequality
1820s Cholera outbreak
1848 - Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels publish The Communist Manifesto
Books
Erewhon - Samuel Butler (1872)
● Country where machines are banned because they are believed to have attained
consciousness
● Critiques various aspects of Victorian society, including nature of morality, limitations
of tech and role of institutions
News from Nowhere - William Morris (1890)
● Protagonist awakens in a future society that appears ideal/ utopian but later reveals its
flaws
● Questions societal progress, the impact of industrialisation and the possibility of
creating a perfect society
The Time Machine - H.G. Wells (1895)
● Political commentary of late Victorian England
● Marxist critique of Victorian decadence
● Shows a communist utopia that is ultimately revealed to be an exaggerated future
vision of a capitalist dystopia
- Elois descended from ruling elite
- Simple minded with no ambitions or complex wants
, - Morlocks descended from poor factory workers
- Intelligent but brutal and monstrous
- Satirises negative perceptions of working class
1910 Context
Roshy
American Eugenics
● Race Betterment foundation set up in 1906 by Kellogg
● In the USA, there was a particular focus on eliminating 'negative traits'
● This led to the passing of sterilisation laws, firstly in Indiana in 1907, then all 28 other
states by 1931
● Those who worked on this were also a major force behind the 1924 immigration Act
which set strict quotas to keep America's population safe from 'undesirable’ races
such as Jewish and Asian people
● In California, c. 20,000 sterilisations were performed, often without the knowledge or
consent of the patients
● Disproportionately targeted women of colour
Industrial and Technological Advances
● Technological advances in the C20th became more sinister, something to fear rather
than admire
● More powerful weaponry in WW1 led to tragic and unprecedented (40 million)
casualties
Conflict between capitalism and socialism
● With the rise of industrialisation also came the rise of capitalism as the dominant
political and economic structure of the West
● Critics explored how it generated brutal working conditions and poor standards of
living for workers in spite of technological advances- socialist principles
Modern chemical weaponry
● WW1 (1914-1918): the deployment of chlorine, mustard and phosgene gases caused
1.3 million casualties with 90,00 - 100,00 fatalities
● The use of chemical and biological weapons is seen throughout dystopian fiction: fear
of their usage, creation of apocalyptic wastelands, fundamentally changing society
and its ability to support life
Russian Revolution 1917
● November 7 1917: Lenin led the Bolsheviks, ascribing to Marxism, to seize power
during Russia's October Revolution and become the first communist government.
, ● Later that month, the Socialist Revolutionary Party defeated the Bolsheviks in an
election, but, despite his promises of "bread, land and peace" Lenin used military
force to take power. It's during this period the Red Terror (executions of the Tsar’s
officials), prisoner-of-war labour camps and other pouce state tactics are established
● This promised equality but ended up in authoritarian rule, censorship and the
suppression of dissent
● The difference between revolutionary ideals and the reality of brutal totalitarian states
is a familiar theme of much dystopian literature with an all-controlling regime comes
the suppression of all individual rights and freedoms
● Instead of creating a classless society another powerful ruling elite emerged
● Use of secret police
● Use of propaganda and control of information
● Corruption of power
Also 1918 - 1920 Spanish flu outbreak
1920s Context
Roshy
Emergence of fascism in Europe following WWI
Characteristics:
● authoritarianism
● nationalism
● anti-communist
● militarist
● 1924 - Lenin dies at age 54 and Stalin takes over. START OF STALINIST RUSSIA
● Stalin, who had served as Lenin's general secretary, rose to power through his
nomination as General Secretary for the newly incorporated USSR by Lenin in 1922
● His rise to power was uniquely lacking in violence, but after Lenin's death Stalin was
quick to silence his critics
● industrialised the country through a state-controlled economy, although it led to
famine.
● Under his regime, detractors were deported or imprisoned in labor camps.
● As part of the Great Purge 1 million people were executed
● That same year, Mussolini became the Italian Prime Minister after the National
Fascist Party organised a coup d'état
● A year later in Germany, Hitler's Nazi Party also attempted a coup, the Munich
Putsch, but it was unsuccessful and Hitler was sentenced to a 10-month jail term
during which he wrote Mein Kampf
