Reflection: Blog 3

Vibrant Matter by Jane Bennett
https://www.dukeupress.edu/Assets/Books/
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New materialism is an interesting theory that takes a good deal of time to truly understand it. In her book Vibrant Matter, she details her theory, specifically thing-power. Thing-power is the idea that every single object, both organic and inorganic, has the ability to affect and impact others things. As a result, there is no vertical hierarchy where organic things are better than nonorganic things; since everything is made up of atoms, everything is equal and thus everything has thing-power and independence from others (Bennett, 2010). 

In blog post 3, I was asked to evaluate an object in a dystopian environment that had thing-power, that had an effect on other things, and to trace its history in that environment and its effects. I discussed the role and thing-power of nature in The Hunger Games. Now, I am going back to my classmate's blog posts for further reflection. 

Haptic Suits
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In Maggie's blog, she discussed the role of the haptic suit in Ready Player One. She explains that she believes that the first haptic suits looked similar to astronaut suits, because their primary functions were simply to allow the user to "take the person's senses out of the real world" and into the OASIS. As the suit adapted over time, it became more like spandex and became more tight to the body for ease of movement. Therefore, the suit effects the user by allowing them to feel things that are technically not there, but are present only in the OASIS. In addition, Maggie explains that this suit created divisions between environments (the real world vs the OASIS), between class (rich vs poor), and between realities (the real world reality vs escapism). 

Mockingjay Pin
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Caitlin discussed the thing-power of the mockingjay in The Hunger Games. The mockingjay represented freedom and autonomy from the Capital, and as a result, the mockingjay (both the bird and the pin) possessed thing-power and were able to affect the characters in the book. First, the mockingjay incited rebellion amongs the districts because of its symbolism. In addition, the mockingjay stole autonomy and freedom from Katniss herself when she had to become "The Mockingjay" for the rebellion. 

Nature in The Hunger Games
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In my own blog post, I discussed the thing-power of nature in The Hunger Games. My favorite post from my original post was the notion that nature can kill or heal you. The effects of nature remain unmatched by many other objects and many other thing-powers, maybe because of the vastness and uncontrollable aspect to nature everywhere. As I've read more novels for this Dystopian Environments course, I have found that while environments absolutely have thing-power, there is a unique relationship here between humans and nature. Nature could completely destroy us, but we also have some sort of control over our environments, as well. In The Road we see that the man and the boy are able to harness their environment to build fires, or keep warm inside a bunker in the ground. However, in Parable of the Sower, nature provides shelter for the characters but also threatens to kill them any any given moment. 

I think it would be really interesting to investigate this relationship further. How much power does thing-power truly have, and can an object's thing-power be overcome and/or destroyed? Or manipulated?

After reading other people's blog posts from blog 3, I was reminded that it truly is incredible the effect on objects both in novels and in real life. Before this prompt, I had not stopped much to think about the thing-power of objects and things in literature. Now, however, it is almost all I can think about as we cruise through Oryx and Crake. 

Dystopian Project: Arc of a Scythe

Dystopian Environment
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Dystopias are structured environments or societies that are detrimental, undesirable, and often murderous. Dystopian literature, especially in science fiction, is becoming increasingly popular with the release of books and series such as The Hunger Games, Divergent, Arc of a Scythe, The Road, and Ready Player One. Every fictitious dystopia appears differently in literature; however, certain themes and characteristics rear their ugly heads in many dystopian societies and environments. For example, death is extremely common, both of the environment and of various characters. In addition, there is often some semblance of religion, or purposeful lack thereof. 

Dystopians are particularly fascinating because they often begin as attempted utopias, which are the complete opposite of dystopias. For example, the dystopian society described in The Giver was originally dreamt up by the characters as a new utopia, a new age in which life was perfect. However, their utopia was quickly shattered and the control over others was not only realized, but pushed back against. Similarly, in the novel Scythe by Neal Shusterman, the Scythedom is established in order to continue with a newfound human immortality. 

Scythe by Neal Shusterman
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When do utopias stop being utopias and become dystopias? Were they ever really utopias to begin with if they are so easily turned into dystopias? Can people within these societies be happy if they are ignorant of the true flaws and corruptions within the utopian structure? For example, in Scythe, the people outside of the Scythedom are blissfully unaware of the controversies and corruption within the Scythedom, and as a result, they truly do not have all of the information. Does this mean that they're happy anyway? When is ignorance blissful, and when is it detrimental? Can a society be utopian if it was founded on lies, as was the case with the Scythedom?

All of these questions are ones that I want to answer in my final creative/visual project for this course. I want to address the tensions between utopias and dystopias, as well as how knowledge plays a role. This was a huge theme in the Arc of a Scythe trilogy, especially with the development of the Thunderhead, an all-knowing Godlike figurehead with no corporeal form. In addition, I want to use my project to examine how justice/the law system, religion, and technology play a role in dystopian societies, specifically in the Scythe trilogy. In Arc of a Scythe, the Scythedom represents the justice system, the Tonists, and later the Toll figurehead, represent religion, and the Thunderhead itself represents technology. All three of these come head-to-head in this trilogy and are represented each by the title of on of the books, as seen below. Which concept holds more sway in the design of a dystopia? In the Scythe trilogy, it seems as if religion is not nearly as significant as either technology or the justice system- in fact, religion in this trilogy is mocked and seen as twisted from religion's original purposes. And the Thunderhead is described as Godlike- so in dystopias, does technology replace religion? I wonder if this could be part of the reason that dystopias so quickly fail and are corrupt from its inception.

Arc of a Scythe trilogy by Neal Shusterman
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Nature, New Materialism, and Today's World

        In dystopian worlds, the nature depicted is typically pretty grim, dismal, and/or bleak. Nature includes both the natural world (think forests, rivers, greenery) and the non-natural world (think cities, man-made settings). The characters in these dystopian environments are typically heroic by design and are able to survive in nature, either the natural world or the man-made world. Often both. According to new materialism, a theory developed by Jane Bennett and described in Vibrant Matter, these dystopian natures have a thing-power and agency all their own.

Vibrant Matter by Jane Bennett.

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New materialism states that since everything, both organic and non organic, is made of the same substances, there should be no vertical hierarchy claiming that there is "human uniqueness in the eyes of God" (Bennett, 2010, 10). Everything, organic and non organic, has thing-power, and thus everything has independence and value simply by existing. According to Bennett, everything is valuable because everything can have an effect on anything else. For example, she describes the effect that certain parts of trash have on not only the surrounding trash, but on her ability to recognize, perceive, and process it (Bennett, 2010). Therefore, environments everywhere impact people all the time, regardless of man's supposed "reign" over nature, either natural or mechanized.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
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As a result, the nature described in dystopian environments impacts the characters beyond what the characters do in/to the environment(s). Typically, we think that people affect their environments, but rarely do we consider that environments have an equal impacts on the people in them. For example, in the novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy, the environment is bleak, ashy, and gray. The man and the boy rest and find shelter in the woods, and they leave their mark on this environment by building fires and manipulating it for their benefit. However, the environment impacts these characters an equal amount. The father and son are forced to continue their travel due to the snow that does not cease to fall for a while. If the snow wasn't falling, the pair would not be forced to travel so far, so fast, so determinedly. Both nature and man are affecting each other with complete agency. 



If both man and nature impact each other so heavily, then it becomes impossible to discuss dystopian societies and environments without also discussing the setting and the nature involved. Nature becomes the second protagonist, without ever uttering a single line. According to new materialism, nature has just as much agency as the human protagonists of the story. If we consider nature from this lens, then nature goes from a backseat, from something that is merely used by characters, to being important in its own right because nature actually impacts not only the characters, but the plot and book as a whole as a result.

Character vs Nature. https://sbt.blob.core.windows.net/storyboards/kristy-littlehale/character-vs-nature.png

The beauty of literature is that everything written in books is reflective, at least in part, of some aspect of the real world, or of current events in the real world. In the real, we are face-to-face with nature every single day, both natural and unnatural. We have constructed cities in and around the natural life, and are constantly affected. We are impacted by the heat of the sun which causes us to dress differently than we would in the winter. The rain causes us to remain indoors. Natural disasters leave us breathless and helpless, even when we can anticipate them. Our buildings and technology release dangerous chemicals into the air and impact our ability to see the stars. Nature constantly impacts us beyond our control and even beyond our ken. By analyzing the role of nature in literature, specifically dystopian literature, we are able to truly understand the uniqueness of nature and understand, to some extent, the agency that it has. If we understand nature from a new materialist perspective, then perhaps we would be better equipped to thrive in our world. Humans are infinitely important, and so is nature. All of the big natural events, the small greenery, and the man-made societies impact humans on a daily basis and ought to be taken seriously as a major protagonist in life. 

The Role of Nature
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Nature in the Dystopian Environment

Nature in The The Hunger Games
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       In literature, nature typically represents and symbolizes a wide range of themes including freedom, life, and wilderness. In The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, nature is present throughout all three novels and informs the reader on the relationships between Katniss, the other characters and districts, and technology. 

The 13 Districts of Panem
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The 13 districts were originally established based on the environments and landmarks surrounding the area. District 12 mines coal because they were given the Appalachian area. District 4 controls fishing because they were given a large chunk of the coastline. The environment played a huge role in establishing the identities of the individual districts, a notion which relates to the theory of new materialism as described by Jane Bennett in her book Vibrant Matter.


       

Vibrant Matter by Jane Bennett.
https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com
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New materialism states that since everything and everyone is made of the same substances, there should be no vertical hierarchy claiming that there is "human uniqueness in the eyes of God" (Bennett, 2010, 10). Everything, organic and non organic, has thing-power, and thus everything has independence and value simply by existing. According to Bennett, everything is valuable because everything can have an effect on anything else. For example, she describes the effect that certain parts of trash have on not only the surrounding trash, but on her ability to recognize, perceive, and process it (Bennett, 2010). 

      In The Hunger Games, nature plays a role that is equally as influential as that of Katniss or Peeta. For Katniss, nature represents safety and shelter because Katniss knows how to survive in the wild. When she is in district 12, she escapes to the nature outside the fence as a way to leave behind the atrocities of life inside the district itself. However, during the Games, while Katniss manages to survive in the wild, nature inevitably begins to have negative effects on her. She is burned by the forest fire, she is stung by tracker jackers, the freezing air threatens to kill her every night, and she struggles to find water and fears dying of thirst. The environment in The Hunger Games is particularly interesting because it also represents the relationship between nature and machine. While to Katniss it appears as if the wilderness she is in is having these negative effects on her, it is near impossible for her to know which effects are natural and which are machinations from the Game-makers. 


      While Katniss runs from the other tributes who are hunting her down to kill her, the elements of the dystopian environment in which she struggles to survive could very well kill her first. Her environment, the nature and wilderness she is placed in, has its own agency separate from Katniss and the other tributes, and even from the Game-makers. In the first two books, Katniss is in her element in nature and the wilderness. However, in Mockingjay, Katniss flees the wilderness and is either underground with District 13 or is in the Capitol, a city lacking in nature and comprised almost entirely of technology, buildings, and stone. This environment too has an effect on Katniss, because it causes her to have to develop new skills outside of the survival skills she developed in nature. This dichotomy, pictured below, impacts Katniss' state of mind when she is forced to not only try and adapt but thrive outside of her comfort zone in nature.

The Wilderness of District 12
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The City Circle in the Capitol
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       In The Hunger Games series, nature holds a great deal of power over the characters because of its agency. Without nature, Katniss would have starved long before the series even began because nature provided her with food, in both animal form and plant form. Nature allowed her to developed the skills she needed to survive the Hunger Games themselves, which ultimately led to the beginning of the Rebellion led by President Coin with Katniss as its Mockingjay and face. It is often easy to forget about the significance of the environment in novels because the readers are so focused on the characters. However, Jane Bennett argues in Vibrant Matter that the environment, and every other non organic object, is equally as important as the people because ultimately, everything is the same. As a result, while Katniss is crucial in defeating the Capitol, so is the nature that surrounds her in the dystopian environment and world of The Hunger Games. The nature in The Hunger Games has the ability to revive, maintain life, or destroy life, as seen in the clip below. 

                                                                                              Katniss Running From Forest Fire
                                                                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM9ycudAL-k

Creating Manipulative Environments Through Ideology and Hegemony in "The Hunger Games"

The Hunger Games Trilogy.
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        There are many complex factors which contribute to the manipulation of the public in dystopian novels such as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Specific ideologies, hegemony, and the use of the surrounding environment and space help the leadership, specifically Presidents Snow and Coin, manipulate and control the members of the districts.


       Ideology comes in many forms, but at its core it is the process through which a set of beliefs and values become normalized in a society (O'Brien & Szeman, 2017). President Snow and the Capitol spread the ideology that the Capitol is the sovereign leader over the districts and that the districts should not only surrender to the Capitol, but ought to be grateful to be under its leadership. 

Hierarchy of Panem.
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The Capitol carefully crafted a hierarchy that encompasses both the social and economic contributions of the districts, and as a result, the ideology of colonialism is spread over the districts, as discussed by Connors in his article about Panopticism. 


This hierarchy lends itself to the establishment of cultural hegemony, which is when the dominant group exercises control over the weaker group(s), specifically through the use of cultural and/or ideological means (O'Brien & Szeman, 2017). In The Hunger Games, President Snow demonstrated cultural hegemony over the districts through his limitations on the space in which members of the districts may occupy. The sovereignty of the Capitol, and of President Snow, was made obvious through his use of physical torture (i.e. Gale's whipping in the square) as well as his use of surveillance. These spectacles were designed to elicit "feelings of terror in those who witness them" and thus further increased Snow's sovereignty and power (Connors, 2014, 92). 

Snow vs Coin
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While President Coin, the leader of the rebellion and district 13, was supposedly a good leader and on the right side of the war, she nevertheless shared some of Snow's tactics and manipulations. For example, she engaged in actions that furthered her sovereignty over the rebellion, such as forcing the people of district 13 and their guests to consent to constant limitations on their freedoms and to obedience for fear of punishment. Coin was willing to sacrifice Katniss, the mockingjay, in order to benefit the rebellion as much as possible. Thus, there were little differences between Snow and Coin, a similarity which resulted in Katniss assassinating Coin.

        
       Both Snow and Coin manipulated their environments to maintain power and control over their "subjects." The environment provided both leaders with the opportunity to exercise total control over others by limiting the amount of space their people could occupy. For example, Snow refused to allow the districts to wander outside of the fences around each district, and they were not allowed communication with other districts. Coin, in a similar manner, kept her rebels underground in the new district 13 and refused to allow anyone to go anywhere unless they had express permission from their commanding officer. This was seen when Katniss wanted to go to the front lines in Mockingjay: Part 2 and Coin steadfastly refused to allow her to go beyond the space already provided for her. Snow and Coin believed that by manipulating space, they would be able to strengthen their power and hegemony over others. 

President Snow Watching Katniss
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According to Foucault and his theory of Panopticism, merely the fear of being watched can often be enough to maintain order and power over someone (Foucault, 1975). The members of the districts never knew when Snow was watching them, and thus Katniss lived in fear that Snow is watching her every move and would kill her family. Snow was able to use the environment for his power and gain by not only hiding cameras in the environment so that were hidden, but also through the development of muttations such as the jabber jays and tracker jackers. 


         Even though Coin was supposedly the good guy, she nevertheless fell prey to power and grew as corrupt as Snow when she wanted to hold a Hunger Games with the children of the Capitol officials. Collins showed that it does not matter whether someone is on the right or the wrong side; what matters are the intentions, the corruption, and the use of manipulation to garner power. In the end, the actions of both Snow and Coin got them killed, as evident in the following clip, and it is the responsibility of everyone to hold others accountable and to analyze the actions and intentions of those in power so that corruption may be avoided as much as possible.

References

Connors, S. (2014). The politics of Panem: Challenging genres. Retrieved from:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-AtB_Apqjn6CBfouLe84upIzWsIQWz6i/view

Foucault, M. (1975). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison. Retrieved from:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j1yfio2Nup5ABbfTjvC3OzzCt0cc6qQ1/view

O’Brien, S., & Szeman, I. (2017). Popular culture: A user’s guide. doi: 10.1002/9781119140399

The Increasing Influence of Dystopia in Popular Culture

     Gendler, A. How to recognize a dystopia. “TedEd."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a6kbU88wu0&t=34s

An increasingly popular category of fiction, dystopia refers to an undesirable, objectively negative society “in which the conditions of life are miserable” (“Dystopia,” 2017). Such horrible societies are caused by numerous things, including degeneration of the earth via climate change, violence, and/or oppression. A dystopian society is the opposite of a utopia, which refers to a society in which the way of life is described as perfect and flawless, so that no one suffers and “members live the best possible life” (“Utopia,” 2017).

Dystopia vs Utopia
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Dystopian societies are often reflected in science fiction and post-apocalyptic environments. Science fiction, while difficult to exactly define, tends to involve elements such as “realistic speculation about possible future events,” some form of nature and/or space, alternative timelines, futuristic settings and/or “new scientific principles [or] social systems”  (“Science Fiction,” 2017). Science fiction is extremely complex and involves a wide range of sub genres like post-apocalyptic literature. Apocalypses are big events that bring about the end of the world and life as the characters know it. Thus, post-apocalyptic novels focus on societies and worlds that take place after the conclusion of a world-ending event and delve into the lives, troubles, and/or triumphs of those attempting to survive the new environment.

Dystopian literature is increasingly finding its way to popular culture and proving itself to be worthy of academic study. Since dystopian societies are the opposite of utopian ones, dystopias are far more harrowing because they reflect certain aspects of modern society that are undesirable, disliked, or unrealized, and further these aspects by developing a horrifying environment in which no one wants to live. Since dystopian societies typically take place in the future, there are science fiction elements inevitably involved in the story, such as natural disasters/degradation or unique technology, and oftentimes the futuristic society takes place after an apocalyptic event. 

Examples of Dystopian Literature.
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In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the amount of dystopian novels published, including young adult fiction novels such as the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Anne Roth. This book series is undeniably dystopian because it follows the character Tris who must learn how to navigate and survive in a post-apocalyptic Chicago among the created factions. This series reflects certain aspects of our modern world and delves further into the implications of separation of people based on differences and uniqueness. Divergent challenges the notion that people should be divided into neat organizational groups and blindly follow leadership by utilizing futuristic technology such as the fear landscape and testing serums. This series provides young adults with a means to not only examine the world that we live in today but also to reflect on the implications of certain aspects of society and how those aspects lend themselves to the creation of such a dystopian society. 

Dystopian literature appears to be increasing in popularity for numerous reasons. In the world of young adult literature, these novels are providing a platform through which teenagers and young adults can pause, reflect, and think critically about their own life and the unfavorable aspects reflected in the book. The Artifice provides an excellent piece on the popularity of dystopian literature, specifically young adult literature that is extremely insightful.

Divergent Movie Poster.
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According to Ames, the amount of dystopian literature increased immediately after 9/11, thus furthering the relationship that dystopian fiction forged with current societal events (Ames, 2013). After 9/11, the overall atmosphere was generally fear-charged, and as a result, events like 9/11 contribute to the popularity of dystopian literature because the books “present fictional fear-based scenarios that align with contemporary cultural concerns” (Ames, 2013). In addition, dystopian literature provides a jumping-off point to discuss sensitive issues that are prevalent in society, such as climate change, political tensions, and/or the increase in unnerving technological advancements (Ames, 2013). Essentially, dystopian books are a source of critical thinking and reflection in a world that is grappling with the consequences of things that are abundant in science fiction and dystopias, including unique technology and natural disasters. 

In some ways, dystopian literature reflects both dominant and counter cultural ways of thinking. For example, novels like The Road by Cormac McCarthy provide insight into the dominant culture that love, especially between a parent and child, is an entity that is necessary in order to survive in any world,

Father and Son in The Road.
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while also examining aspects of counter culture by challenging the notions of the impacts that climate change has upon the world and the negative environments and consequences that could result in such a post-apocalyptic world.

Dystopian literature has been increasing significant within the past couple of decades, and as a result, dystopian societies are often part of everyday conversation (think The Hunger Games, Divergent, Handmaid's Tale). Through this explosion onto the popular culture scene, dystopian literature provides its readers with the unique opportunity to examine disturbances on the norms of societies and the consequences of society.