Critiquing the Present and Imagining the Future: Diversity in Contemporary Young Adult Dystopian Literature

Author

Ericka Stone, Utah State University

Date of Award

5-2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

English

Abstract

This project investigates the historic and contemporary representations of diversity in young adult dystopian literature. First, the functions of utopia and dystopia are examined, as each genre seeks to create change within society, whether it is by presenting the possibility of a more hopeful future, or by projecting the problems of the present into a terrifying vision of what might happen if changes are not made. By examining the elements of utopian and dystopian fiction and the way each genre conveys their themes, this project seeks to locate the significance of diversity and representation of all races, ethnicities, genders, and sexualities within the dystopian genre, as it has recently increased in popularity through the film industry. Ultimately, this project argues that there are two strands of dystopian literature; one strand, represented by Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games (2008), perpetuates the historically individualistic, white-centric male gaze, while the other, in which Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower (1993) is foundational, encourages more prominent and positive representations of diversity. Indeed, this project compares the representations of diverse backgrounds in Collins’s and Butler’s work, then analyzing the more recent texts The Marrow Thieves (2017) by Cherie Dimaline and Pet (2019) by Akwaeke Emezi. Throughout Butler’s, Dimaline’s, and Emezi’s works representations of diversity are insightful and empowering, commenting on the issues facing historically marginalized groups and illustrating characters of diverse backgrounds as agents of change. In each of these texts, there is a utopian response to the dystopian society, often highlighting the importance of inclusive communities, as opposed to the neoliberalist individualism usually presented in dystopian literature. This project contends that the message of community within diverse dystopian literature establishes the importance of everyone working together to create and support a society that is inclusive, representative, and diverse.

Recommended Citation

Stone, Ericka, "Critiquing the Present and Imagining the Future: Diversity in Contemporary Young Adult Dystopian Literature" (2023). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 951.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/951