Elliot Gengler - Utopias and Dystopias

 The discussion of literary genres got me thinking about the distinction between Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic settings. At first glance, my brain reads them as having the exactly the same meaning, that being writing about an apocalypse, but I think the distinction between the two is very important. In an apocalyptic setting, the world goes from ordered to chaotic. As a society breaks down, we see people suffer, and the message is clear: don't let society break down. In the post-apocalyptic setting, the world gains order, as people pick up the pieces of their broken society. That said, the new order they create is not necessarily a good one, and so the message of post-apocalyptic writing does not have to be an entirely uplifting one. Ultimately, the message is that, no matter what, humanity will persevere. Its in our nature to survive. I think the moral greyness of this is really interesting, and is what allows dystopias like BNW and 1984 to be depicted.

 Generally, religion is seen as an enemy of progress. While there are some exceptions that come to mind, (particularly abolitionism in the mid 1800s) the rigid nature of religions means they, more often than not, act as a social anchor, opposed to progress. If, for example, being gay is considered wrong when a religion is founded, it's going to be very difficult to convince people otherwise in the modern day. The two are hard to reconcile. But Earthseed seems to offer a kind of synthesis, maintaining the strong and valuable social and cultural bonds associated with organized religion, while seeming to fit better with social changes, as change is so central to its beliefs. In a way, Earthseed, or something like it, seems like the perfect religion, especially in dealing with the chaotic world of Parable. 

One of the features I particularly associate with dystopian worlds is the degree to which travel is restricted. In our modern society, (if you can afford it) one can take a plane, boat, or car to just about anywhere in the world. A thousand years ago, a commoner would only travel as far as they could walk. That ability to travel is something we really take for granted as members of our modern society, and so its breakdown is one of the most obvious signs that a society is failing. Whether through the Oppressive governments of BNW and 1984, or the anarchy of Parable. While it's something we have grown up and spent our whole lives in, that freedom of movement is one of the most fragile aspects of our world, and seeing it crumble is one of the more subtly horrifying aspects of these novels.