We take technology for granted these days but in truth, technical discoveries are a modern invention. Up until some 150 years ago, progress was very continuous but slow and gradual. Then some machines arrived, the first railroad was constructed, physics plus chemistry brought many interesting discoveries. Some writers back then, like Alexander Dumas, saw the impact of technology on the future and were not happy about its possible outcomes. It seemed like an uneven battle where humans stand no chance, so from that initial concern and anxiety, the dystopian literature was born to serve as a warning of what may become of our society.
Steam And Punk
Most dystopian novels are more political than technological in their nature including everyone’s favorite 1984, or Kafka’s The Process. They deal with totalitarian regimes run by a ruthless bureaucracy that crushes our individuality, free will, or freedom of any kind. Every student enjoys these books for their sinister tone, gritty atmosphere, plus a valuable lesson learned about not taking your freedoms for granted. There are however other dystopian books that put an accent on technology or its influence on our daily lives like The Brave New World, by A.Huxley. Every college literature teacher will recommend you this book if you write an essay on dystopian fiction.
In this or similar novels, people’s lives lost their meaning, as overindulging in all pleasures of modern technology made them numb and apathetic. It made them lazy, addicted to all the tech marvels that keep them subjugated but enslaved without them even noticing, or caring at all. Sometimes, modern tech is not used for cruel oppression or total control in a Big Brother steampunk fashion, but simply to hypnotize people into submission. Using a proper writing service site as https://eduzaurus.com/ can teach you everything about dystopian literature via free essay samples on this topic. We need to think critically to see the real positive or negative of technology. Explore more materials to better understand this.
Humans And Machines Do Not Mix
If you mix vodka with tonic, you get a fine drink, but people do not mix with futuristic robots very well. We like to think about how modern gadgets make our lives easier or more convenient. It is good to make technology for humanity and control it by humanity, but not the other way around. Sadly, that line where we become dependent on modern technology is getting thinner and thinner each day. Some clever writers predicted this with frightening accuracy because they understood that the core of human nature consists of greed, selfishness, plus the need for control.
We can literally see these things happening today in our modern Western societies where rich people didn’t find a balance between self-indulgence and wellbeing. Each pupil should read dystopian novels in school just for learning what can happen if we take technology for granted and let it turn us into modern slaves. As we enjoy interactive fun or virtual reality, we gradually lose our individuality along with the power to change anything. Perhaps this fear of being enslaved one day by a new race of robots is not realistic, but it can prove useful for keeping us in check while stirring our technological development.
Pop Culture Dystopia
After The Hunger Games became a best seller, Divergent came out, and after that The Handmaid’s Tale. We can’t forget The Blade Runner which totally predicted how corporations will take over our lives and control every resource on his planet. Perhaps, that initial fear of technology defeating humans wasn’t without any cause, but there is still time to make things right. However, this fear will remain the foundation of dystopian literature and it shall haunt us for generations to come. Our writing shall always be a reflection of the world around us and how we perceive it, usually through fear and doubt.
As we try imagining our perfect society, using high tech seems inevitable in that picture, but some say we should try going back to nature and a simpler way of life. Somewhere in between is where we will probably reach our equilibrium and peace. Until then, we can enjoy the latest literary achievements in the genre of dystopian literature.
Meta description: Explaining the connection between technological progress and proliferation of dystopian literature in recent decades while describing our attitude toward technology.
