Dystopian themes

Term 2, 2026 english revision on dystopian themes

Control

Central authority restricting people

Oppression

Citizens treated unfairly, harshly, inhumanely

Surveillance

Constantly watched to maintain power

Loss of individuality

Personal identity discouraged or erased

Propaganda

Usually higher power manipulating people

Class division (social hierarchy/hierarchical power divide)

Society defined by groups with different status and privileges

Post-catastrophic

Society after major disaster

Technology

Heavily reliant, describes the future

Rebellion/resistence

Character developing self consciousness, and fighting back

Authority

Form of power

Moral collapse

Society losing ethic (core set of fundamental values) foundation

Environmental decay

When the natural world is breaking down, becoming damaged, polluted, dying, or unusable

False mertiocracy

Pretends people rise to power through hard work or talent, but usually:

• system is rigged

• certain people are allowed to succeed

• the “elite” stay in power no matter what

Totalitarianism

Form of government where one group/government has complete control over every part of people’s lives.