Are you familiar with the dystopia? The word is generally defined to be a community or society that is unpleasant or scary, the opposite of a utopia. There have been a lot of books written that fall into this category, some are classics like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (my older sister and I still occasionally mutter “Oh for Ford’s sake” when feeling particularly frustrated), Animal Farm by George Orwell, and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. When I read those books as a teenager, it all seemed so far fetched, like those things could never actually happen.
Then I read Lord Of The Flies by William Golding. That seemed much more believable. By then I’d known some kids that seemed cruel and did mean, spiteful things and it wasn’t a stretch to imagine what might happen if circumstances allowed for them to assume a leadership role in a society. For the first time I realized what true human nature looks like and what that means to those that are vulnerable.
Dystopian fiction is still a popular genre, particularly for young adults. Even though I’m far from a young adult, I still read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and have the Divergent series by Veronica Roth on my list of books to read one day.
Today, however, it’s not hard for me to believe that we could destroy our planet, numb ourselves with drugs and distractions, become consumed by things that don’t truly matter, value that which is meaningless, and live in a society where freedom and justice are no longer things to fight for and defend. It frightens me and yet I keep reading.
What is the attraction? Why read something that disturbs me and makes me uncomfortable? Why am I drawn in? It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I think it’s because I identify so readily with the hero or heroine. There’s a desperate longing to believe that I would be brave, I would stand against what’s gone wrong, I would fight the battles that need fighting, I would use my strength, wits, and intelligence to survive and protect my loved ones under the most dire circumstances. Do you feel that way, too?
It’s all just fiction, though, right? Our society is civilized, logical, reasonable, just, we care for the marginalized, protect those who are vulnerable . . . except that’s not really true, is it? While I imagine myself rising up as a champion in the face of great adversity, I have plenty of opportunities to make a difference in this society today and yet I choose to do very little about it.
It would take time, you see, or money, or it might not be convenient, and I might need to know what’s going on in the world around me instead of living in my own, quiet, pleasant, little space. It would require some effort on my part and gosh, I’m kind of tired and busy right now. Even if I did actually do something (and I’m not saying I’m going to), would it even matter?
These are things that I’m trying to explore on this blog. When I read or hear something that seems like utter madness, I research it and try to decipher what I learn and share it here. It would be my desire to motivate people to think about stuff and learn along with me. It would be my desire that someone would have a Naked on the Tundra moment, take a risk, and do something different, even though they might be all alone in doing so.
If you ever do feel changed or motivated by what you’ve read here, please share in the comment section or on Facebook. I love hearing stories of changed lives – it warms my hard and motivates me to do things differently, too!