Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________

Are We a Dystopia​ Writing

Day III. Writing
Directions: Respond to the prompt below in a mini-essay/fully developed paragraph. You will do
this in the box provided underneath the prompt.

Tips for a mini-essay:

● Make sure there is a clear topic sentence. Take a stand on the prompt, and give a brief
reason why. This should give me a clear indicator of what you’re going to talk about in
the mini-essay/paragraph.
● Provide ​evidence​ to back up your stance. Make sure the evidence you provide supports
your argument.
○ In addition to providing evidence, be sure that you ​elaborate/explain​ your
evidence, and why it supports your argument. Do not expect the reader to
automatically make the connections that you have made.
■ After you’ve done this with one piece of evidence, don’t stop there!
Repeat this process by providing even more evidence, and the explaining
that evidence. That way, your argument is more backed up.
● Wrap up the argument with a conclusion sentence. This sentence should connect back to
the argument you made, and should wrap up the paragraph/mini-essay neatly.
● Pretend you’re writing to a reader who isn’t aware of your topic. This will help ensure
you’re always elaborating

Is our society/the society you choose a dystopia? Explain your answer utilizing
elements of dystopian literature, the warnings presented by your book at this
point in the text, and the parallels drawn to our society/the society you choose.
 
I believe we will always live in a dystopia most because there’s no such thing as a Utopia. 
Nothing is perfect no matter how hard we try. After ensuing and reading multiple 
documents and articles, I have come to a conclusion that we live in a dystopia. To outstart 
my argument, I started to read an article discussing that in Cuba they don’t want people 
reading books. I had perceived in my book “Brave New World” that in chapter 3, It 
discusses how books make babies cry and they just don’t want books to be existent in 
society. Society wants to take enjoy in nature not books. Next, I read an article discussing 
that in Cuba, They decided to have no political party. Opponents of this idea claim that the 
government should just be in rule of how things are. This however is similar to “Brave New 
World” because there isn’t a political party present. They have a point in thinking that 
structure and rules by a political party will cause discomfort and rallies in society and them 
as a whole want to ensure that they are impervious to anything disregarding 
disagreements. Likewise, It states on page 94 in “Brave New World”, Lenina states, “When 
the individual feels, the community reels” Therefore meaning they should avoid feeling 
anything but happiness at all costs to protect their whole purpose as a community. Next, I 
go through an article that discusses the main ideas of being seperated due to an age 
difference. The country North Korea states “generate fearful obedience by using public 
executions,arbitrary detention and forced labor” this ties into being seperated due to an 
age difference because of different procedures the age groups would have to follow. This is 
a parallel to Uglies because a rule they follow by is if that a kid does something wrong, 
they’d get extra punishment to ensure good behaviour of the kids without regard to how 
little the mistake was. Next, I go through an article and that article discusses the basic 
nature of labor. This is the same article that tied to the book “uglies” but also ties to the 
book “Animal farm”. The opponents of the article maintain everyone has hard labor. In 
Animal farm, society decree that each Animal must do at least 5 years of hard labor to 
keep the farm in good shape. Although, in Korea hard labor must be used as punishment, it 
ensures that it is still present. Next I skim through an article that discusses the 
reproduction/fertility. It states in the article that in the philippeans, girls must be on a 
contraceptive plan to prevent the risks of an early or any pregnancy at all. This statement 
distinguishes my book “New Brave World” because it discusses in the book in chapter 1, 
that the boys will not be able to attain living offspring. This is because they want society to 
be able to have sex without having the worries of having kids. They do not want girls to be 
able to reproduce from a male they had, had sex with because it can inflict some 
confliction and likewise, the book represents wants a luxury of happiness and nobody to 
feel anything but happiness. Finally, my ending point to my argument is that the last article 
I skimmed through, states that Barack Obama wants to outset surveillance in The United 
States. This is intimate to the book I am reading “Brave New world” because it discusses 
they want everyone to be protected and ensured that they are in good hands, and that 
they are preserved of anyone doing anything to have the ability of someone ruining what 
they feel is strongly important. We need to ensure that we as a society live in a dystopia 
due to Surveillance in the United States, having to have a contraceptive plan in the 
Philippeans, and lastly, having to get rid of the books in Cuba. This shows me that we can’t 
trust anybody because people will do abominable things no matter how things go, because 
in Brave new world, Bernard has a different view than everyone else in society does and 
tries to get Lenina on his side. Also, people will decide to do things they wish they can take 
back and regret going on with life and although there may be some bad decisions being 
made everywhere, I believe it is natural and that we should learn from them instead of 
trying to avoid them. No matter how perfect we try to make things, there’s always a risk 
factor and a good chance that there’s going to be cracks in the lines no matter how hard 
you try to brainwash society, there’s going to be that one person who realizes things aren’t 
right and they will rebel and replenish what they believe. Sooner or later, they will get 
people to agree and that’s how conflict is made. DIfferent ideas will always be present and 
there’s nothing we can do about it besides just respecting others thoughts and being 
mindful of those who have other thoughts. How would you react if you had no say in what 
you believed because society wants you to stick with their plan? Isn’t that taking our first 
amendment away? 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

3. Support ideas with details and elaboration (20%)

Writings that receive a ​10​ will incorporate the following:

● Maintains ​a claim​ that is developed with relevant facts from article of choosing, extended
definitions, concrete details, and/or quotations.
● Incorporates ​at least 1 warning, 1 parallel between the article and your book, and 1 dystopian
characteristic or control​.
● Effectively draws explicit evidence from article of choosing to support argument.
● Provides effective and comprehensive development using clear and convincing reasoning, details,
and text-based evidence.
● Connections between the evidence and the claim are ​insightfully explained​.
● As appropriate, identifies, develops, and rebuts a highly effective counterclaim in service of
development of the claim (this is especially true if you argue it ​isn’t​ a dystopia).
o When contradictory claims and evidence are included, their thorough rebuttal strengthens
the writer’s argument
● A ​concluding statement​ follows from, supports, and enhances the argument of whether or not the
society they chose is, or isn’t, a dystopia.