FYS 1019 UTOPIA/DYSTOPIA

Exploration of literary and cinematic depictions of ideal societies and their nightmare counterparts, beginning with the classics that established the genre (Plato, More, Campanella) and ending with contemporary works (Butler, Le Guin, Callenbach, Scott), emphasizing the political and social critiques they offer. Additional discussion of the popularity of dystopian fiction in Young Adult novels as a reflection of anxieties about the future of humanity and the planet. Examination of real-world utopian projects, including the Soviet Union and American communes, with consideration of Connecticut College as an intentional community and constructed ideal.