A-Level English Literature

Comparative and contextual study

Dystopia

In the text below the writer describes thoughts and feelings of Andrew Gill as he drives through
the USA of the 1980’s, after a series of nuclear explosions went o . The author describes the area
as bleak, dangerous, and dreadful. A typical environment depicted in dystopian novels, which is
the main focus of this critical appreciation.

The passage starts with Andrew referring to a mysterious she—who is, presumably, the woman he
made love with earlier. However, in this current instance he refers to her as “the girl”, not a
woman. This description could reference to the superiority that men feel over women in Margaret
Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”. In calling her a “girl” he perhaps subconsciously admissions
that he doesn’t fully see her as a woman—a strong, fully female individual—even though he just
slept with her.
In this passage the writer does not utilise much colourful or descriptive writing, instead focusing
on the character’s internal monologue and plain sight. However, there are still some subjects to
talk about. The rst would be how Andrew questions the girls actions while he drives. He asks
why she did a particular act, and if she was “in her right mind at the time?” That is a very
dystopian-view for a character to take. In dystopians, often or not people are either brainwashed
into a government’s submission, or tortured until their minds break; such as seen with Winston
(MC of 1989) in the end of the novel “1989”, who is tortured until his mind bends to the will of The
Party.
The writer describes Andrew’s hands numbed exhaustion as if they were “lifeless.” There is
usually much death and destruction in dystopian ction, and the depiction of Andrew’s hand
numbness as “lifeless” simply brings the entire feeling of that terrifying dystopian world to life in
the text. Another thing to note that really brings a dystopian atmosphere of death and prominent
decay is the radiation mentioned various times in the passage. It passes on above Andrew while
he drives, heading North. Radiation such as this is a very deadly type of energy moving from one
place to another. It is a weapon that’s often used to bring about annihilation of worlds, which ts
the dystopian section quite well indeed; as seen in “The Handmaid’s Tale”, where the rest of the
area outside of Gilead is said to be in complete radiation that could immediately kill a person.
Andrew feels hopeless and in terror at the fact that he might die soon due to the radiation, if the
bombs won’t kill him rst. The author projects this feeling of immense fear, along with imminent
doom, in a spectacular way to the writer through the line, “Maybe we’ll wither and die in another
few days, he thought. Maybe it’s only a question of time. Is it worth hiding?” There is one such
insight most readers of dystopian genre have our days—the fear in dystopian novels, that the end
is always close by, and perhaps it is unavoidable to the characters. This is perfectly shown in both
“1989” and “The Handmaid’s Tale”, both novels in which the main characters constantly have to
push back anxiety of being killed either to external or internal conditions.
Solely in this single passage the writer does an excellent job of bringing the main character’s aws
out to the surface; something which most, if not all, dystopian novels have to conserve the
anticipation in. In “The Handmaid’s Tale” it is O red’s curiosity and risk-taking, along with her rank
as a Handmaid. In “1989” it is Winston’s leg disease. Here it is similar, the chronic heart problem
paroxysmal tachycardia that Andrew Gill has. It prevents him from o ering his full support to
refugees from the bombs. And perhaps it also showcases some of his cowardliness. Maybe
subconsciously he just used the heart problem as an excuse not to get caught up in the bombs or
radiation, and prioritised his survival above all—a trait which many characters in dystopian ctions
possess.
Lastly, the writer is able to outwardly project Andrew’s tremendous dread and despair through
various acts. The rst is the way in which he wrote short, concise sentences for a couple of lines;
keeping the reader hooked and on the edge of their seat with anticipation and perhaps fright of
their own for the characters. The second way is Andrew pointing out that his wife and two
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 children might already be dead—killed o by, most likely, the bombs. The main character’s wife
and kids would obviously be prominent individuals connected to them, shaping their will and
emotional state. And by stating that they might have been killed, it passes on to the reader an
even greater sense of dread. That nothing will be the same again.

‘Dystopian fiction almost always makes use of bleak settings.’

To begin with, we must look at what bleak settings mean in this aspect. They could either mean
the conditions and physical appearance of the environment in the stories, or they could mean the
conditions and mentality of them, the emotional states. In this discussion I will talk about the
former. In dystopian ction novels, the physical environment and settings in which the stories are
set are, more often than not, very bleak. Such is the case with George Orwell’s novel “Nineteen
Eighty-Four”. However, such is not the same in the novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret
Atwood.

Starting o , the settings in George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” are quite dreadful indeed. It is
shown through various aspects of the story that the environment and appearance of the world
around the characters is grim and dire. Due to the ongoing war of Oceania with the outer states,
the living conditions of the country’s citizens is immediately terrible. The proles and outer Party
members live in small, cramped homes—most even in tiny apartments—that seem to be in
atrocious states. Dark, cracked walls to convey fear and hopelessness to both the reader and the
characters… As little furnishings as possible to limit even the outer Party members… And many
more. Furthermore, the overall physical appearance of a majority of Oceania appears to be
bequeathed by destruction. Some houses are described to be on the verge of collapsing, the
streets reek of undulated, terrible smells, and there is no relaxing, ordinary scenery in sight. Only
the imminent annihilation of the state of Oceania.

However, I do not entirely agree with the statement above. Because going against the typical
dystopian settings and still remaining a dystopian ction novel, is Margaret Atwood’s “The
Handmaid’s Tale”. In comparison to “Nineteen Eighty-Four”’’s depressing and appalling
conditions, the city of Gilead appears to be in a brimming state. The main environment of
Oceania, in which Winston lives in, is as I said, entirely bleak. But the city of Gilead’s
surroundings, opposing, is shown to have been maintained with the utmost care and
consideration to its citizens. It depicts ordinary buildings that are in good conditions, along with
clean and lively streets. Additionally, Gilead is shown to possess a beautiful kept environment,
something which entirely contradicts Oceania’s depressing scenery. To add onto this side of the
discussion, even in “Nineteen Eighty-Four” the readers are able to see glimpses of a euphoric
settings. This is shown in Winston and Julia’s second interaction, where they meet in secrecy and
get intimate. The settings there in are shown as, both literally and guratively, serene and
stunning; forests drenched in, what would look to the characters like, divine beauty. Gold and
scarlet like the sunset sky. Graceful birds ocking around. Additionally, there is the mention of a
safe haven in “Nineteen Eighty-Four”, The Golden Country, which by its name could be presumed
to have non-bleak settings.

But yet, to add to the rst paragraph of this discussion, even “The Handmaid’s Tale” is not a
dystopian story entirely free of the typical bleak settings. Because outside of Gilead’s guarding
walls—most likely just in that area—is a terrible radiation which was described to annihilate
whoever steps within it instantly.

In conclusion, dystopian ction does make use of bleak settings, as shown in “Nineteen Eighty-
Four”, however it does not do so almost always, as shown in “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
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