Utopia and dystopia from "summary" of The Giver by Lois Lowry
Utopia and dystopia are both concepts in which societies strive for perfection. In this type of story, readers will find a perfect world in one aspect but with a hidden dark side that reveals itself as the story progresses. Characters struggle to find a balance between the two concepts and must choose between them in the end.- Utopian societies are based on the idea of living in a perfect world with no pain or distress. In contrast, dystopias portray an imperfect society, filled with suffering and injustice.
- Utopia is usually viewed as an idealistic concept far-fetched from reality due to its over optimism, while dystopia descends further into pessimistic despair of a bleak future not so well managed through structure and control.
- Utopia promotes the notion that humans can cooperate and work together for the betterment of humanity; while dystopia puts significant emphasis on selfishness and fear.
- The fundamental difference between a utopia and a dystopia is the power balance between authority figures – those at the top that hold the most decision-making power – and the common people who live their lives within this society.
- Utopian societies have all laws, rules, and regulations defined; whereas dystopian societies have authoritarian laws that regulate people's behavior.
- A utopian world is often ruled by a government under the auspices of promoting peace and harmony amongst all players involved, taking into consideration all perspectives; meanwhile, a dystopia treats particular members with disfavoritism and leaves them out of the picture when it comes to decisions.
- A utopian environment seeks to give citizens the highest possible quality of life by accommodating everyone's needs, while a dystopian environment restricts individual autonomy and liberty.
- Utopia focuses on developing a sense of community while FDystopia stresses the need for personal autonomy and freedom of thought and expression.
- Utopia strives to provide individuals with a way to achieve self fulfillment and realize their goals by making sure all necessary resources are available; whereas dystopia does the opposite as suppress any kind of progress or change from happening.
- A perfect utopia could be sustainable if the social organisation was balanced between achieving personal satisfaction without excluding other needs, however, an extreme dystopian realm enforces strict control upon a helpless population.
