Billennium

This short dystopian story starts off with a society overcome  with overpopulation. The city council tries to minimize the issue as much but never can get a solution. They have agreed to meet up to discuss how much sq feet each person can receive. They eventually agree on 38 sq feet for families. If you really think about that, that is nothing for the families that have a big families. However, families struggle to live in the society and they cannot survive with this constraint.

However, the story picks up with the heroes, John Ward and Henry Rossiter. Ward is the moderately aged hero of Billenium. He fills in as an administrator and shares the living space with Henry Rossiter. He is different from Rossiter. He hates the eager landlords who lessen the extent of the desk areas so that there is no space for him to stroll without lurching. In any case, before the end, he turns into a usurious proprietor himself when he finds the void room. Rossiter is altogether different from Ward however they are companions. He is more forceful in his methodology. These two men have regular paying jobs but they believe that this job cannot help them get by in the society. One day, they decided to rebel and knocked down their cubicle. During this time, they have found a hidden room. John and Henry immediately realizes that this can be a space they can use to live. They decide to live in and enjoy what large amount of space they found. They eventually decide to invite their girlfriends who then invite their families. Now they had a huge problem. They realized that the hidden “secret” was just another place that had limited space. When John lived in old estate, he hated the fact that they had landlords. He believes that they were just there to steal people's money. Nonetheless, John became a landlord. He didn't mind the fact that he was making money so he adjusted to the lifestyle. He made so much money that we barely spent time with his family in his new home.  John and Henry believed that they were powerful.

Billenium introduced many themes that I believed were important. Overpopulation, power, and loss of privacy. These themes have been emphasized throughout text that demonstrate a dystopian society. By living within society that everyone basically shares a home and billions live in this society, there's no sense of privacy. This very unfortunate for the people in this dystopian society. The struggles of this society brings us to evolution of power and greed.   Power and greed  forms an important part in this short story. I believe that power made John and Henry what they are now. They found an opportunity to make more money and they took advantage of it. The main characters in this short story hated the fact that landlords took money from them tenants and they became just like the other landlords. They collected so much money that they started to like the position that they were in.

Ballard does a great job in making the themes of this novel very evident. He uses what the things that they hated the most (the landlords) and placed them in their shoes. I believed that he wanted to shows that Ward and Rossiter would be same like the other landlords. Ballard played perfectly. These three themes have simply defined what a dystopian society can be like. I believe that it was a well-rounded short story. It is definitely recommended because a unknown reader that wants to know the difference between a utopian and dystopian society, this will be a great introductory to what a dystopian society is like.

The Day The Law Died

The Day The Law Died is a story arch within the Judge Dredd comic series, written in 1978 by John Wagner. Judge Dredd is the central character in the 2000 AD and Judge Dredd comics. In these comics, he holds the title of “Judge” in the dystopian, futuristic Mega-City One, as part of The Judge System, which is regulated by the Special Judge Squad. He patrols the streets, along with other Judges, stopping and preventing crime, with little to no real due process, acting as judge, jury, and executioner.

            In The Day The Law Died, Judge Dredd is framed for the unlawful killing of a civilian journalist, a crime he did not commit. Dredd escapes while being transported to prison, only to find out the real murderer was a robot double of himself. All this time, another Judge, Judge Cal, has been plotting to overthrow the Special Judge Squad, and become Chief Judge. When Chief Judge Goodman is ambushed and killed by unknown assailants, Judge Cal is successfully appointed Chief Judge. It becomes clear to Dredd that Cal has been behind everything, and has not only framed him for the murders of civilians, but also murdered the Chief Judge.

            Once Cal is Chief Judge, he begins a decent into madness. While Mega-City One was already a dystopia, we see Cal push the city further into the dark, as he unleashes killing sprees upon the citizens. He utilizes fear tactics to control citizens, and declares the entire population be sentenced to death, in alphabetical order, while brainwashing many Judges (save Dredd and a few others) to abide by his rule, as well. 

            One of the many things Cal does, that is similar to other dystopian pieces of literature, is make any criticism of him illegal, and punishable by death. Along with this, he also dictates many other draconian-esque laws, further oppressing citizens. This is reminiscent of Nineteen Eighty-Four, in which if a civilian spoke out, or stepped out of line, they would vanish, never to be seen again. However, in The Day The Law Died, Cal makes it abundantly obvious that he is to blame for the deaths of thousands of people. In 1984, the Party did not brag about, or vocalize their involvement, thus instilling greater fear in citizens, and making the Party a more difficult antagonist to fight.

            Cal also encouraged children to spy on their parents, and report any slanderous remarks of his leadership or character immediately. The promotion of snitching is used widely in dystopian literature. In 1984, children were also taught to spy on their parents and report any wrong doing, becoming “an extension of the Thought Police.”

            One of Cal’s main objectives was to destroy people’s spirits and crush all hope. This again aligns with many fictitious dystopias, especially 1984. By the end of the novel, Winston’s spirit had been broken, as he accepts Big Brother, and gives in to the powers that be. Cal forces all citizens to expunge themselves of anything that may bring them happiness or pleasure, burning any luxury items in the street. The denial of emotions is also a running motif in dystopia literature. But, Cal has created an almost dystopia of a dystopia, a society in which he cannot maintain his power for very long. He is unsuccessful in breaking down the citizens of Mega-City One, as they attempt several times to revolt, showing that Cal cannot contain them for much longer. He decides the only way to create the perfect city, is to kill the entire population all at once by gassing them.

            Cal could not handle the pressures of maintaining a dystopia that was created from an already dystopian city. This is an interesting point, because although Cal is stopped, and order is restored, the “order” isn’t really order at all. The city goes back to being the original dystopia it was: a crime riddled, over populated, territory. While citizens are freed from Judge Cal’s insane rule, they return to a society that was not truly free in the first place. No one is liberated; they simply revert back to the lesser of two evils.

V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta is a film directed by James McTeigue, based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore, which depicts a dystopian future set in the United Kingdom. Several dystopian motifs are touched upon in this film, including totalitarianism, fascism, false flags, secret police, and the torture and execution of those who defy the ruling Norsefire Party. Unlike dystopias in many other medias, at the end of the film, the regime is ultimately defeated, as Parliament explodes amidst a series of fireworks. Although this action did not completely destroy The Norsefire Party, it acted as a catalyst, the aftermath of which eradicated the people’s fear of the government, therefore rendering the Party helpless to the people it once terrorized.

            The mise-en-scene of this film is effective in portraying a dystopia, with much of the color being washed out and costumes being very dark, aside from the blatant color red, which appears vibrant throughout. The color red is used by both The Norsefire Party, in their flag, and by the main character, V, in his signature symbol. Many times when The Norsefire Party is shown, the scene emphasizes the color red, which is usually surrounding them in some way. The color red is used to represent the blood the Party has spilled throughout their rise to power, and their rule. V, the hero or anti-hero, also uses the color red in his mark, symbolizing the return of control and freedom back to the people, and reminding them that he will avenge those who died at the hands of The Norsefire Party.

            The Norsefire Party’s slogan throughout the film is, “Strength Through Unity, Unity Through Faith,” and is reminiscent of the 1984 slogan, “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength." The slogan is pivotal to the film, as it lays the groundwork for V’s own agenda, which eventually brings about the Party’s demise. Evey’s strength stems from her being a part of V’s rebellion and her willingness to die for its cause, even though V had her captured by the Party and tortured in the first place (Strength Through Unity.) Her dedication to V’s rebellion is derived from her undying faith in V, and his plan for freedom (Unity Through Faith.) One could argue V’s rebellion is a micro-dystopia of its own, thus making him an anti-hero.

The Norsefire Party gained a stronghold in England when a debilitating virus, St. Mary’s Virus, was exposed to a mass amount of people during a false flag terrorist attack, all of which were orchestrated by the Party. This confluence of events allowed The Norsefire Party to exploit the people’s fears, and gain complete and total control of the country. In almost all of dystopian media, we see the use of fear as a means of control, and this film is no exception. The Party employs secret police, and forces those who are not white, Christian, and straight, along with those who oppose the Party, into concentration camps where many are tortured and murdered. The clear inspirations for these agencies and events were The Holocaust, The Third Reich, and The KGB.

By the film’s end, Parliament is destroyed, and the people no longer fear The Norsefire Party. The most interesting and twisted event is when Inspector Finch asks Evey who V really was. She responds by saying, “He was all of us.”  While at surface level, it seems as though she means V stood for all of the disenfranchised people of England, in actuality it shows how V’s rebellion, however good the intentions were, could be considered totalitarian in its own right.

Harrison Bergeron

“Harrison Bergeron” is a short story written by Kurt Vonnegut that mirrors the concept of crab mentality, and its dangers. In the story, people who are inherently smarter, more attractive, and just overall better are given handicaps to level the playing field of society and create total equality. It also serves as a warning of the risks involved when everyone becomes completely equal to each other, because no one in the story is lifted up, other people are only brought down.

            Crab mentality is the thought phenomenon of, “if I can’t have it no one can.” The concept references several crabs stuck in a bucket, trying to escape. If one crab comes close to the top of the bucket, and is capable of escaping, another crab at the bottom of the bucket will spitefully grab and swat it back down in an effort to thwart its escape. The competitive nature hinders any progress, and guarantees that all of the crabs will die.

            This crab mentality can be seen in “Harrison Bergeron” through the leveling handicaps. No one person can be better than another, and as opposed to bringing those at a disadvantage up, society brings anyone who is better down. In essence, all this does is ensure that absolutely no one will succeed.

            When it is revealed that Harrison and his Empress are both beautiful, talented people, Vonnegut raises the question, “are natural abilities and attributes somehow unfair?” Harrison and his Empress are forced to wear masks and weights to conceal and impede features that are out of their control. Can it be considered an unfair advantage even if Harrison has no control over it? Harrison is said to be attractive, tall, and incredibly smart- all qualities bestowed upon him when he was born, and all qualities that are out of his control.

            At the end of the story, Harrison and his Empress are killed by the Handicapper General, and everyone returns to their lives and handicaps. There is a running theme throughout the entire course of this type of futile resistance. In nearly every piece of dystopian literature assigned in class, when the protagonist defies the government or speaks out, nothing comes of it; either the character dies, or submits to the powers that be. This story did not deviate from that, but it had the most striking ending, in my opinion. Not only is Harrison killed on television, almost instantaneously everyone forgets about it.                 

Fifteen Million Merits

 The non narrative element that made “Fifteen Million Merits” an example of a compelling dystopian was the music. Notice when in the when Madsen woke and he plugged the earplugs in his ear, his face showed a face of sorrow. Madsen did not want to live in that society where he had to run everyday to gain points to live by. He wanted to make it big like Selma and gain his first opportunity when he heard Abi in the bathroom. He believed that was his ticket to a new lifestyle. When he heard her sing, he attitude changed dramatically. It was a “new day” for Madsen. Majority of the show shows how he does the same thing over and over. The music captivates the viewer to feel the same way he’s feeling. It shows the  In my opinion, when I was watching the episode, I was kind of feeling the way he felt. The feeling of like giving up, sad, upset, frustrated,etc. The main character face in “Fifteen Million Merits” depicts the certain mood. When he was happy, they played exciting music and when he was day they played low-spirited music. The non narrative elements demonstrated in the episode play an integral part in showing how dystopian society is portrayed. 

I believe the “Fifteen million merits”episode is clearly satirizing the present day American Idol. In the show, we see three judges who have different personalities. A English man who is like Simon, a woman judge who is Jennifer Lopez, and African American who is Randy. I believe it deeper than that. I believe that it’s aiming how talent is being viewed by shows like American Idol, but in particular the actions of the judge’s. It shows the thirst for distraction on national TV. For example, when Abi went on the stage, she went to sing, but ended up being a porn star. One of the judge’s answer changed the whole game. Judge Wraith wanted to see some cleavage and that distracted the crowd from her singing skills but focused on her looks. This is a great example of what TV does and this is what this episode what to point out. It shows what media can influence a person to do. Many people have made in this industry have change dramatically just simply listening and attentive to other media personnel want them to do. The influence of the media is a great danger.

Every day we are getting closer to this reality. This is something that has been going for some time now. We are too far in to change it. It is something that we have to deal with, but it is important that we understand what is going on in our society. By understanding what is going on in our society, we can eventually this epidemic and seek the good out of everyone that is trying to make it to stardom. 

Black Mirror: The Entire History of You

          Black Mirror’s “The Entire History of You”, plays with the idea of what the world would be like with memory retention devices. “The Grain”, the memory retention device, is implanted in people in order to vividly remember the past. The episode focuses on Liam who becomes obsessed with suspicions about his wife having an affair with a past lover. “The Entire History of You”, serves a purpose in order to view how a world that appears to be utopian is actually dystopian, and that has to do with the fact that people have memory retention devices that record daily life which they can later use to replay. Ultimately, this can lead individuals, as demonstrated by Liam, to become obsessed and lose control over their lives. From the music, the camera angles, to the colors, this episode is able to convey a dystopian world.

            This world is dystopian because people have access to past memories through the use of so-called grains, which record daily events that can later be used to replay. As is seen with Liam, he becomes obsessed and begins to replay memories to scrutinize them eventually leading him to despair. A world where people can replay memories in vivid detail can prove problematic because they become obsessed with replaying the memory over and over again. For example, people will replay their first encounter with a date and obsess over it and grow anxious or people might have to replay memories that contain sensitive information to police officials, leading to a world where privacy is no longer existent. In this world sex is shown how it becomes dull and non-passionate because people choose to replay exciting past sexual encounters, rather than enjoying the current sexual encounter. This is dystopian because sex ceases to be an intimate occasion with a partner and instead becomes a passionless, almost robotic, sexual encounter.

            The colors used in scenes are also worthwhile to note because they switch from bright to dull when things go from a perfect world to an imperfect world. When Liam first arrives to the social gathering, the scene is presented in a bright color to demonstrate the joy and liveliness of the group of friends who are having a good time. However, when things go awry and Liam finally confronts his wife about the affair, the scene turns gray and dull, where bright colors are no longer used. This is a good way of showing how their world is no longer a perfect world, but rather a dystopian world because both Liam and Ffion have come to a point in the story where the truth is revealed due to the obsession Liam had in replaying memories. This is true also when Liam replays memories of better times with his wife and child, as the scenes are bright and yellow but then switch back to gray when he is in the present.  The music used throughout the episode is also helpful in conveying a dystopian world because it turns eerie and almost suspenseful to show that this is no longer a perfect world. The very last scenes then play music that is sad in order to demonstrate Liam’s despair and solitude as he no longer remains with his wife. Camera angles in the episode were also useful because they are able to demonstrate Liam as almost lost in this world, as someone who is clearly distressed and in despair for what has happened. The camera angles go from a straightforward position when in good times, but then switch to lopsided and sideways angles when times are bad which helps to display Liam’s distress.

            All in all, “The Entire History of You”, is great at conveying a dystopian world where people can become obsessed with past encounters, eventually leading them to despair. It was the constant replay of memories by Liam that caused him to become distraught, and though he was right in his suspicions about his wife all along, the device made it only more difficult because he continued to replay those encounters. I think if we were able to use such technology it would prove to be troublesome because we would obsess over everything and might even have our privacy taken away. The grain device can surely be a warning of the potential dangers of already existing technology, such as the use of Facebook which can be used to look back at past romances and even be used as a way for the government to invade people’s privacy. With the continuing improvement of technology it might be possible that one day we invent such technology as the grain device, and perhaps become a dystopian world because of it.

Fifteen Million Merits

          The episode on Black Mirror, “Fifteen Million Merits” shows a good illustration of what a dystopian world can look like, as is demonstrated by the colors, music, and symbolism. The colors that are used in the episode are important because one can see that the people of this dystopian world all wear the same colors except the ones who appear to be in charge of determining ones future. The music that is played throughout the episode seems to be chosen for them, except when they try to perform in front of the judges. The symbolism used throughout, like the biking to get merits, is an example of how a society can be turned into an almost slave-like society where they must keep on biking in order to advance and get out of their current situation.  The episode proves to give a chilling glimpse at the near future—if not already the present.

            The color grey is the only color people are wearing throughout the episode, save for the garbage men/women, and the judges. Wearing the same color is purposely done because doing so can prove to take away an individualistic aspect of a person, the choice to have the preference for a certain color is not an option.  The color grey can be associated as a color of being dull, sullen, and sad, which is the way people are going about their lives in this society. It is clear with Bingham that he is going about life dull and sullen-like because the way his life is structured is routine-like. It is true that not everyone seems to display the same dull characteristic that Bingham shows, as is the case with Dustin who is always having a good time watching TV or making fun of overweight garbage men. The only people who appear to wear different colors are the garbage men who are all made fun of because of their weight, and the judges who appear to be in charge of determining people’s future. Being in charge means having power, which in turn means the ability to do as one pleases, and in this case the judges can do as they please and therefore choose what they want to wear.

            The music that is played seems to be chosen for them too, except when they perform in front of the judges. That was the case when Abi performs in front of the judges and chooses to sing a song about love. It was clear that Abi and Bingham had fallen for one another, as is shown when they hold hands in the elevator. The fact that she was able to sing about love even when it appears as if they are all in a slave-like society, trapped by screens and bikes, is a good example of the way in which an individual has not yet lost complete individualism. Abi, like Bingham, was not so much trapped in that dystopian society because they were able to think differently and act differently, eventually leading to their place away from biking for merits.

            However, in a sense they still belong to the system itself because Abi ends up doing pornography, while Bingham ends up having a thirty-minute segment where he gives speeches. Perhaps this is done to symbolize the fact that though they try to get out of a particular situation, in this case a slave-like society, they will not because there is a greater force at play that they cannot change. It is clear that the society they live in is consumer focused because people enjoy buying new things, and yes they are virtual, but nonetheless it makes them happy as is demonstrated by the ginger character who purchases different things for his avatar. This sort of dystopian future is scary to see because we are not very far from it, or perhaps already living in it. We are attached to our smartphones, laptops, videogame systems, televisions, and social media among other things more and more, that we end up being trapped in this consumer based society where we start becoming slaves to our own property.