My Chosen Utopia and Dystopia Examples (15/4/2013)

For this task we were asked to bring in an example of an Utopia and a Dystopia. You can find my choices below. 

Utopia - The Prisoner:

Set on an island, merely known as ‘The Island’ which is home to all the secret agents that have left or retired from the business for one reason or another. They are now forced to live in a community so they can’t betray their organisations. Outwardly the island looks ideal as everyone is provided with their own home, regular events occur and they can participate in a number of activities to live out the rest of their days in apparent harmony. However, the island hides darker secrets as agents who won’t divulge why they left their organisation are interrogated drugged and put under physical and mental challenges to try and break them. Some accept this new existence whilst those who try and escape the island are met with force either by security or a mysterious gigantic floating ball named ‘Rover’ which seems unstoppable and deadly.

Dystopia - The Walking Dead:

Set in a world where the dead walk the Earth, this follows the trails of a group of survivors who must find a way to live in a world which is no longer what they remember and have come accustomed too. This is a dystopian world where the humans can turn on one another, food is scarce, the power is down and danger lurks around every corner. The characters try to keep their humanity throughout, but it becomes obvious over time who feels the pressure more than others as the characters become fear stricken and full of grief. When the characters find locations that seem to be perfect for them (thus a Utopia) there always seems to be something dark hidden within its otherwise idyllic appearance. Whether that be ‘Woodbury’, where the evil mad man ‘The Governor’ rules with an iron fist over a community of people who either believe his lies or are too scared to stand up to him.

Harvard Referencing:  

• Donahue T. A (2013) The Walking Dead Screenshot [Online image]. Available at: http://www.bite.ca/bitedaily/2013/04/10-things-i-learned-from-the-walking-dead/ (Accessed: 15/4/2013). 
• Gerber, J (2010) The Prisoner Screenshot [Online image]. Available at: http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/02/rock-history-101-iron-maiden-the-prisoner/ (Accessed: 15/4/2013).