Before you create your own Utopia have a look at the original Utopia An ideally perfect place especially in its social political and moral aspects Named after an imaginary island nation invented by Thomas More in his book called ID: 410021
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Slide1
Utopia vs. DystopiaSlide2
Before you create your own Utopia, have a look at the original:Slide3
“Utopia”
= An ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political, and moral aspects. Named after an imaginary island nation invented by Thomas More in his book called Utopia
, published in 1516.Slide4
More’s Motivation:
“When I run over in my mind the various commonwealths flourishing today, so help me God, I can see in them nothing but a conspiracy of the rich, who are fattening up their own interests under the name and the title of the commonwealth.”
---Thomas MoreSlide5
The Specifics – Part 1:
EQUALITY: “equality for all results in enough for each”(61)
WORK: everyone farms (50), six hour work days, you are assigned to a trade based on interest and ability, the idle are expelled from society (51)Slide6
The Specifics – Part 2
THE PEOPLE: everyone wears a sort of uniform to cut back on vanity and cost (50), there is great respect for the elderly (59), the population of each city has a cap. (55), there’s no greed because there is no shortage, citizens never butcher animals (57)---this work is hired out, slaves do all the dirty work (58)
GOVERNMENT: you have to be educated to hold public office (53), their chief concern is human happiness (67), they pay people off to avoid war (62)Slide7
The Specifics – Part 3:
LAWS: there are very few laws because everyone is so good (85), but there are a number of customs (ie) you get married at age 18 if you are a woman and at age 22 if you are a man. If you have pre-marital sex and you’re found out, then you are never allowed to marry (81).Slide8
The Specifics – Part 4:
ADDITIONAL POINTS: gambling is not allowed (52), money is valued so little by the citizens that gems are used as children’s toys (63), music is very important (74), they denounce pride: “Pride is a serpent from hell that twines itself around the hearts of men, acting like a suckfish” (109-110).Slide9
Create Your Own Utopia:
The Scenario
:
exasperated by cynicism, years of power squabbles and the extremely slow pace of the Canadian political system, the Prime Minister and Governor General have decided to hand over all the power in Canada to
you
in the hope that you will be able to build a better and more ideal nation. The future is in your hands.
Insert Name HereSlide10
DYSTOPIA
“Dystopia” is a word created in the nineteenth century to refer to the opposite of a utopia.
1. What
do you and the members of your group see as the characteristics of a Dystopia? Develop a list of at least 10-15 characteristics
.
2. Come up with a list of books, movies, and television shows that you could describe as “dystopian”Slide11
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
Why is it difficult to create a utopia? Is it possible? Why or why not
?
2. What
purpose is
there to
thinking about what
dystopian situations
could be
like or, if you like, why are dystopian stories popular?
3. Is
it possible that when one person creates a utopia for themselves, they create a dystopia for someone else?
4. What
historical
locations and time
periods can you think of that
could be described as dystopian?
5. Finally
, explain how
all dystopian
literature or film is satire
.