A Dichotomous Relationship: Fear & Hope in Young Adult Dystopian Novels
De Vault-Garvey, Sydney
De Vault-Garvey, Sydney
Abstract
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Dystopian novels for young adults have become increasingly more significant in young adult life and pop culture as a whole. What is it about these dystopian societies that draw people, of all ages, into a world unlike our own? What lays beyond the surface of these tales to incite such a frenzy in pop culture across the globe and across generations? There are countless novels that have been published over the last fifteen years that create a world plagued by a controlling government and “saved” by a young female protagonist who incites a rebellion. There are aspects of romance, fantasy, myth, and so much more- but all linked by this common dystopian world and extreme government control. While each series creates a world of its own, there are common themes displayed across series’, and one such theme is the use of fear by the government as a means of control and the eventual rebellion that occurs from hope incited by the main character in some form. The Hunger Games, Red Queen, and Divergent series all showcase this dichotomous power dynamic between a fear that controls and a hope that rebels.
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Keywords
novels,Dystopian Literature,government,fear,hope,young adult novels