Dystopian Literature, and Why We Should Read It

What is dystopian literature?

According to merriam-webster.com, dystopia means:  "An imaginary place where people are unhappy and usually afraid because they are not treated fairly."  Another way to say it would be anti-utopia.  That makes a lot of sense, right?  At least, if you know (as most of you do) that utopia means:  "An imaginary place in which the government, laws, and social conditions are perfect."

I'm sure that quite a lot of you have read The Hunger Games, Divergent, Legend, The Maze Runner, or some other dystopian book.  They're kind of dark.  Depressing.  In every single one that I've read, the government is very corrupted and the reason everyone is, "unhappy and usually afraid."  A lot of people die, and most of the endings are very bittersweet.  They're not something you want to spend all of your time reading.

So, why is this kind of thing being written so frequently?

Why do people write dystopian literature?

We live in a fallen society.  The America we know is nothing like what it was intended to be.  The government is attempting to gain more power.  Barack Obama is blatantly disregarding the Constitution.  Illegal immigrants are flooding in from Mexico.  It seems like America is on a downward track.  Those books I mentioned above all take place in an American future.  This is what people see as the tomorrow of our nation.  They see the government taking over, corrupted and power-hungry.  But afraid of uprising.  They see people dying as a part of normal life.  They see people giving up, accepting tyranny because they don't know anything else.  And they see people standing up in the midst of millions, saying:  "I will not submit."

In a way, it's beautiful.  Tragically beautiful, but beautiful nonetheless.  Because it's realistic.  The heroes are flawed.  There are a lot of areas that seem grey.  It's a picture of humanity that fills us with sadness and recognition.

But there's one thing that I really don't like about them.  They're Godless.  Besides Divergent, I've never seen Him mentioned.  Now, maybe you're thinking:  Slow down, Anna.  You said this is what they see the future as.  Maybe they think the future will be Godless.  Yeah, maybe.  But I don't.  Yes, I'm a Christian.  I'm biased.  Christianity is my worldview, and a worldview is the lens through which we see the world.  I believe that Jesus will return before the world is completely devoid of Christians.  And also, even without the one true God, history has shown that people will look for a god.  Someone bigger and much more powerful than anyone on earth.  Humans say that they want to be completely independent, but we look for rules.  This stems from the idea of right and wrong, but it carries into everything.

And now you probably have a question, inspired by the title of this post.

Why should we read dystopian literature?

I had a hard time finding the words to express this, but I think I've finally got it.  We should read dystopian literature in order to understand what's going on today (look for similarities and differences when you read) and to understand what to do about the future.  While I realize that the future portrayed in those books is very circumstantial and not likely to be that way in reality, there are some things we should pay attention to.  If the book talks about how the world ended up that way, look for that in our culture.  When you're making political decisions in real life, think about how this could impact the future.  Think about what you do.

There are many dystopian books that I don't like or even think are badly written.

How can we avoid a dystopian future?

It may seem like a good idea at the time to take away our guns.  But when we can't protect ourselves, who are we going to entrust with our safety?  It may seem like a good idea at the time to elect leaders who want to limit the amount of harm we can do ourselves.  But we're human, and even government is fickle.  When they control our lives, we will realize that we need to take responsibility for ourselves.  So think for yourself.  Trust but don't overtrust.  Don't give in to peer pressure when you know it's wrong.  And pay attention.  So many people expect others to take care of things for them, but everybody else is thinking the same thing!  Look at the world and see how you can help.

Now--the warning

Don't overread dystopian literature.  While it can help us see the state we're heading for, it also represents the state humans are in right now.  The writers aren't perfect unbiased seers, they're flawed and sinful just like everyone else.  So nothing will be objective, and to be honest, dystopian literature is just plain depressing.  And we do not want a bunch of informed, depressed people.  So read dystopian literature, but think about it.  Think about what is true in it and what isn't.  What could be fixed and what should, and by whom?

Think.  Because the whole point of dystopian literature is that people didn't think for themselves.

Oops, I think I've just made you really depressed.

I know I feel it about to take over.  But we have a hope in Jesus Christ, Who died on the cross for our sins!  And remember whatever happens, God has us in his hands, and nothing that happens to us happens without him letting it.  "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  And not one of them shall fall to the ground apart from your Father."  Matthew 10:29

To All You Perfect People (and all you real ones, too)...

I suffer from indecision.  What that means is that I don't always know what to do.  What that means is that I do a lot of different things.

So, I assume that at least a couple of you will have noticed that my blog is different.  Yet again.  Well, this is the last time.  I've finally found one I can live with.  The flower was just tiding me over until I got a better picture.

So, if you're thinking What an ugly picture.  She has no taste, feel free to leave!  However, if you're thinking That's a pretty cool picture; I'd like to see some more, look below!

As you can see, a beautiful evening!  I actually took these last night.  My dad got home from work really late, and he said the stars were beautiful, but I unfortunately was not awake to see them.

I'm no photographer, but I do like taking pictures of the sky and the woods and that kind of thing, so as we get more into Fall, I'll probably be posting a lot more pictures.  I especially love sunsets.

I hope you enjoy!  Goodbye!

Anna

We are People

So, what most of you don't know is that I'm a member of a website called The 39 Clues.  The 39 Clues is a multiplatform book series from Scholastic, which means they have the books, a forum, and games.  I am very active on the forum, or MB (Message Board), as we call it.  You cannot hope to understand what it is like if you have never been.  It has grown out of T39C and into itself.  It's its own community, with T39C at its core, but if T39C stopped being made, the MB could continue.

Okay, that whole long explanation is to introduce a...well, I can't call it a speech.  I'm not exactly sure what it is.  I'll call it a talk.  Except for that doesn't really apply either.  So it's a type.

Anyway, this type was something I made for my fellow MBers during a really low time on the MB.  You won't get a lot of this because it's for a very specialized audience, but the central point is true for everyone.  I hope you enjoy it.

I think some of the spacing is a little weird, but bear with it.

We are People

Hey, y'all.  In case you don't know me (this applies to most people) I'm Anna, and I've been on the MB a little over a year.  I have something to say to everyone.



Lately, I've seen a lot of suicidal posts and learned a lot about people's lives.  It makes me really sad.  Also, there's the whole thing about people leaving the MB.  They come here for a reason--if they're leaving, they haven't found what they're looking for.





I'm a homeschooled Christian.  I'm not exposed to much.  And this...this makes me feel a lot of things.  Children so often feel unwanted.  They feel rejected, or, worse, ignored.  I know a little bit about how this feels, but I'm not here to complain--I"m here to help.





Listen, y'all.  I'm sure you've seen the posts.  So many MBers want to help people in pain.  What hurts us hurts you.  But...I think it's time I told you something.





The MB is awesome.  It's a place where we can use only our words to build a reputation, where nerds actually fit in.  But it's also a place where you have to work to be seen and where things can be hard.  But the MB is built on people, not words.





PEOPLE.





So I'm going to bring up some agent names.





Gabby.


Alex Writer.


Layna.


Vanessa.

Justin.





All MBers who brought something so important to the MB, and then left.  Gabby made peace between the branches and made the MB more of a union.  Alex Writer took Fyre's and Ashes' invention of Alter Egos and turned them into the Protectors and Lexians.  Layna turned the MB into a close-knit community with her associations and stories.  Vanessa revolutionized Amian with her unfinished story, Gold Digger.  Justin organized the MB and made agents feel like they really mattered.





I was here when they were here.  I watched them leave, and I couldn't do anything about it.  When they joined the MB, none of them expected to leave.  Layna, especially, insisted that she would never leave.





She was one of my dearest friends.  (My other bof was Andy, who also left.  The reason she isn't on the list is because I was only mentioning really well-known Mbers.)





So, here you are, reading this, and I've got you depressed.  If these people left, why should anyone stay?  I already said that the MB is built on people.  How can it stay strong if all the people are leaving?  I'll tell you why.





You are a person.





Yeah, that's it.  That's the reason.  You are a person.  You make the MB strong.  So stand with us.  And make an effort, not only to enjoy yourself, but to make the Message Board better.





Yes, these people left.  Yes, we will mourn their absence forever.  But the main thing is that they were here.  Someday you'll leave, too.  But on that day, be happy that you were here, and for now, make a change.





For anyone who's suicidal, please rethink this.  You are a person.  Isn't that amazing?  You are a person, not just some dumb animal.  You have a choice.  Even if the only people who care about you are on the internet, we do care about you.





Because you are a person.





Life is worth living, and it's our choices that determine its direction.  You can change things.





And everyone, please remember something for me--even when your friends are gone, even when your family ignores you, you are yourself.  And God is still there.





When my friends, Andy and Layna left, I was stricken.  We had been the unbreakable trio.  I and Andy were Layna's best friends, I and Layna were Andy's best friends, and Layna and Andy were my best friends.  I didn't know why to stay.





But here I am, and you're reading this.  So please take strength from this.  It may be hard to recover, but you can.  I know because I did.

Take strength in knowing that you can make choices.  Unlike animals, you have a spirit.  These things matter.

I hope you realize your worth.

~Anna

New Look!

Okay, I'll admit, I am having a hard time writing Snow White's What Really Happened.  I'm sorry.  I'm having some sort of Writer's Block which involves a lack of the proper whimsical imagination necessary for this sort of thing.  Don't worry, I'll figure it out soon.

In the meantime, I updated my blog!  I noticed that the template I was using was sort of overused, so I changed it.  If you were on yesterday, you may have noticed that I changed it to a red template, but I've changed it again to my own picture.  I hope you like it!

In the meantime, tell me if you have any blog post suggestions for after Snow White.

Find out the backstory of a terrible *snort* criminal!

Author's Note

I am going to be continuing the What Really Happened series with Snow White in just a few days.  Today, however, I am doing something different.  One day, when I was young and playing with my little siblings, we decided to interview each other.  This was the interview with William, who insisted on being called William Samuel Tum-tum and saying some strange things.  Patience interviewed him and I sat off to the side and wrote it down so fast my fingers started smoking.  This is it, word for word.  Please make sure that all the milk is out of your mouth before you start reading.

Interview with William Samuel Tum-tum

Neighborhood News (made-up newspaper):  How old are you?

William:  Five hundred.

NN:  And how much money did you steal?

W:  652, 000.

NN:  Why did you steal it?

W:  It's what I've been doing my whole life?

NN:  Are you brother-in-law to Grup S. Groover?

W:  Yes.

NN:  Is Grup married?

W:  No.

NN:  Where did you grow up?

W:  California.

NN:  Where do you live?

W:  North Carolina.

NN:  What--when you were little, what did you do?

W:  My parents and brothers and I stole from the bank.

NN:  But you had a sister, right?

W:  My sister didn't marry Grup.  *snores*

NN:  Do you have narcolepsy?

W:  Yes.

NN:  Have you ever been to another country?

W:  New York.

NN:  I said country.

W:  I don't know what a country is.

NN:  Have you, um, William!  This is my exterminator thingy!  William!  Stop that!  William!  William!  Not that!

NN:  Have you ever murdered?

W:  Your brother.

NN:  I don't have a brother.

W:  Do you have a sister?

NN:  No.

W:  Anyway.  Interview me.

NN:  Who did you murder?

W:  My brother.

NN:  His name?
  
W:  Grup.

NN:  Grup isn't your brother.

William had no further remarks to make.

What Really Happened: Rapunzel

Welcome to the second What Really Happened!  These are the missings from the story of Rapunzel.

Missing #1:  What father would give up his child to avoid punishment for stealing?  My guess is that the plant, rapunzel was some sort of drug and that the father had partaken of it.  And he was so addicted that he gave up his own child.

Missing #2:  I would assume that the tower where Rapunzel was kept was at least twenty feet tall.  If it weren't, it wouldn't qualify very well as a "tower" and it would be pretty easy to climb.  Keeping that in mind, along with the fact that the average hair growth is 6 inches per year, it would take her forty years for her hair to grow twenty feet.  

Missing #3:  Every girl with long hair knows that if you don't cut your hair, it will get frizzy and dry.  Forty-year-old hair is not going to stay strong and beautiful, like apparently Rapunzel's did.  Which leads us to our next missing...

Missing #4:  Maybe the witch could have managed it up Rapunzel's hair, endowed with her magical powers, but dry, dead hair is not going to bear a prince's weight, even a skinny prince.  Therefore, the rapunzel plant must have had something in it that kept Rapunzel's hair like it was.

Missing #5:  There are two versions to this part of the story.  In one, Rapunzel remarks that her dress is getting tight around her dress, indicating pregnancy.  In another, she asks the witch why she is so much easier to pull up than the prince.  In both, I think we can agree, Rapunzel could use a little common sense.  Although I must say, in that first version, if Rapunzel is forty years old, of course her dress is getting tight!  She came to live with the witch when she was twelve years old.  Of course, the witch could have been getting her new clothes.  She could have just been overweight, too.  Did the witch even think of that?

Missing #6:  Let me just ask you a question?  If you were blind, could you wander for months through the wilderness and survive?  I didn't think so.  The prince must have found someone to lead him through.

Thank you for reading.  If you have any comments or suggestions, please voice them.

What Really Happened: Cinderella

Have you ever read a fairy tale?  I'm sure you have.  I'm sorry for your pain.  The thing is, fairy tales sadly lack believability.  Let me tell you some things that obviously were true but left out in the story of Cinderella.

Missing #1:  Wouldn't Cinderella's neighbors and friends notice that she was now a servant when before she had been nobility?  Her step-family could have bribed them--but you would suppose that there must have been at least one honest person among all her acquaintance.  If they said she was sick they would have tried to visit her.   If she supposedly died, people would have gone to her funeral, which the step-family would not want to spend money on.  They would have had to move to an area of the kingdom entirely unsuitable for visits from old friends.

Missing #2:  Their new house had AWESOME security.  Otherwise, Cinderella would have escaped, even if by accident.  She was a servant, so she knew the ins and the outs of the place.  

Missing #3:  Cinderella was very young when her father died.  Then it would have been much easier to get her to stay a servant.  She also wasn't initially very strong but she became strong through her chores.  Which explains why she was able to run faster than the prince even in a ball gown.

Missing #4:  Cinderella didn't wear the shoes.  They were glass and would break.  Her dress was long enough that this could be concealed.  It's understandable.  Cinderella was a servant girl and was probably not accustomed to shoes, especially glass ones.  She could have hidden them in the folds of her dress, and somehow pinned them there.  When she ran one fell out.  This also helps explain why she could run so fast.  

Missing #5:   Cinderella's feet were oddly shaped.  If they weren't, the shoes would have fit someone else, too.  That's why shoes are mass-made.  But Cinderella's were custom-made, so they were different.

Missing #6:  After this incident Cinderella was forever afraid of coaches, horses, coachmen, and footmen.  She was always afraid that they would suddenly turn into pumpkins, mice, rats, and lizards.


And that's it.  I will be doing several more What Really Happeneds, so stick around.  If you have any suggestions or questions be sure to leave a comment.

Tradition

Why do we cling so strongly to tradition?  The answer is, in a way, obvious.  That's what we've always done.  But there's something deeper there.

We follow tradition because our very selves are molded by others.  And we automatically know that we are not as experienced as others.  So we follow their example, go with the flow.  We create memories that become our real reason for doing tradition.  And stupid traditions that we don't even like?  I can't explain every case, but it's because we hold on to things.  We're afraid that if we let go of something significant in our past, we'll let go of a part of ourselves.  Not to mention the fact that we are attracted to rules.  Humans talk about freedom, but we really can't get along without making some rules.  There is no such thing as absolute freedom.  We are always accountable to ourselves and God. 

And perhaps tradition is one of the rules we make for ourselves, to anchor us down.  Something to hold on to so that we don't get lost in the world.  Of course, traditions aren't the only ways to do that, but they are one of the best.

Whatever happens, we will always create traditions.  They may be family traditions, they may be little rituals you do to decrease your sense of loneliness.  But we are drawn to rules, and a tradition is a rule that some never tire of.

Braces and the Deterioration of Music

Braces

So, as the title suggests, I now have braces.  They don't hurt that much, which is surprising, but they feel weird.  Hopefully I won't have any problems.

Music

Now it's time to approach my favorite decaying subject: music.  Has anyone noticed how horrible it's been getting?  Let's go by genre.

Country

Ever heard of country/rap?  IT SHOULDN'T EXIST!  But it does.  And that's weird.  But the country/rap we hear is absolutely meaningless.  Sure it can be fun hearing a big Southern accent rush those words, but most of us would like to hear some real music.  Get your genres straight.  Would you like a laugh?  Listen to "Drink to that all Night" by Jerrod Niemann.  If you are afraid that this will influence you to like c/r, don't worry.  I don't think that's possible with the song.  But not only is it country/rap that's giving country a negative feeling.  It's just that the songs nowadays have absolutely no meaning.   There are pretty much two subjects for country: hot women and party/drinking.  Of course there are a few detours on that like Blake Shelton's "Boys 'round Here".  But that's just because that's an even worse song.  What irritates me so much is that a lot of the new songs start off with really cool tunes.  But then they throw it all away to concentrate on stupid lyrics.  NO meaning, and they're putting so many special effects in.  Country used to be so strong because it depended most of all on the voice.  I'm not saying there aren't good songs out there today; just saying there are very few.  Take the Eli Young Band, for instance.  I love so much of their music.  Interesting tunes, varied meanings, and a great voice.  But their most recent song is "Drunk Last Night."  I'm very disappointed with them, reverting to a drinking song.  But let's continue.

Bluegrass

I list bluegrass after country only because country was the most demanding.  I much prefer bluegrass.   The issues?   Well, there aren't that many.  Bluegrass has always had its flaws, and they make it what it is.  If its flaws stay consistent, hopefully the good parts will, too.  But some flaws are coming to the surface now.  That includes a country deficit, lack of meaning.  Or rather, overused meaning.  I'm not talking about the murder or cheating songs--those are varied so much in bluegrass, and they are classic.  But some of the guys overuse songs about home.  Let me just say, bluegrass is a great genre for songs about home.  But the way they are written and sung should be original.   Another problem, though, is a lot of songs are getting out of the bluegrass genre.  I mean, have you heard "Wagon Wheel" by the Old Crow Medicine Show?  I mean, it was so horrible that Darius Rucker took it!  There are some really good bluegrass songs that are new, but I hope bluegrass artists remember that bluegrass is a time-honored tradition, and the old feel is something special that they produce.  Original but traditional.  That's key.

Pop

Some of the stupidest songs ever come from pop.  Sometimes the auto-tuning is so bad you can't even understand the words.  But there are others that you wish you couldn't understand.  An example?  Oh, sure.  "What Does the Fox Say."  Seriously?  What does this mean?  And why does it belong in music?  One of my favorite songs is "Say Something" by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera.  That song took off really well.  And you know why?  The people were looking for something.  Something different.  Something that fills the hole most pop dug in their hearts.  We love our music.  People have been singing since Bible times.  So we will always be searching for new songs.  We may listen to a song nonstop for an entire day.  The next day we want a new song.  It's just natural for humans, but there should be so many songs that we're not able to listen to a single good song a day.  We should have to juggle between fifteen or more.  Sadly this is not the case.  Pop is the most listened-to genre, and it kind of makes you wonder what people are feeling.  I don't think pop can make a come-back to being stations people want their kids listening to unless someone starts working really hard, and even then it'll take a few more people and a few years.  I look forward to a new age, but i doubt it will happen.

The End

So, have I depressed you yet?  Are you feeling horrible for liking some of the songs I listed?  One thing you should remember is that there is good music out there, in all three of those genres and more.  You probably know that already, but I hope this makes you realize some things you didn't.  If you want me to post a playlist of good music sometime, just comment and ask and submit some songs if you have any.  Thank you for reading.

Some Concerns

Impending Doom

I am getting braces this Thursday.  Oh, dear.

I know it's necessary, and that I'll be happy that I got them.  I'm happy that I'm getting them instead of having mouth surgery later on down the road.  But I'm still nervous.  And I don't suppose anything will take that away until I'm sitting in the big chair.

I'm always calmer once the situation has already begun.  I can't change anything.  Why worry?  In truth, I am much less scared than I would have been a year ago.  I know that the orthodontists know what they're doing (at least I hope so!) and I don't know what else to do.  All the same, it is rather disconcerting that what I predicted years ago shall come to pass this week.  I wrote this a few years back:

The Orthodontist's Prophecy

I predict that her teeth shall be shackled with shafts of iron, and a color of her own choosing.  And the appearance shall be of one who is imprisoned.  She shall follow in the path of her eldest sister.  And great pain shall be inflicted upon her.  She shall fast a day, and bear the pain as she watches TV.  And the pain shall end, but she shall bear the burden for two years.  Then it shall end and she shall be gone from my sight forevermore.  And her teeth shall be straight.

It's strange.  And kind of sad.  But I guess it's my fault, for not taking better care of my teeth.  But there is no longer time for regrets--bring on Thursday!

Leadership

Leadership; it's kind of scary.  Whenever I think about future positions of leadership I'll have to take, I get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I know what I would have to do.  I would have to remain...in control.  I would have to let them know that I know what I'm doing and I mean what I say.  But more than that, I would have to earn their trust and respect.  Which would mean opening up.  And I'm not good about opening up.

The trouble would be finding the balance between transparency and self control.  But I think I could manage.  I could tell the troubles I had been through and how I overcame them.  I could let them know that whatever they wanted to tell me, I would listen, with the utmost respect.  I would have to be set apart but kind to those apart from me.  I would have to be a role model.  If I did something quite obviously wrong, though, I would have to do the hard thing and apologize.

I would have to deal with the concerns, the questions, and I couldn't complain.  If I had several choices, I might have to ignore the nice choice and go for the wise one.  I would have to punish people I liked because they did something wrong.  I would have to ignore their complaints if they got whiny and out of hand, and deal with the results wisely.

But most of all, I would have to be a friend and someone they could count on.  And I would let them know that the greatest pleasure was working with them.

Deep Thoughts

A Confusing Confusion

It happened yesterday when we were sitting at the table, eating the little candy hearts we got for St. Valentines Day.  William said:  "Hey, this one says LOL!"

Being the kind, concerned sister I am, I immediately asked him if he knew what that meant.

"Yeah," he said.  "It means 'Hahaha, you're so funny.'"  He was serious.  And it was seriously funny to the rest of us.  We laughed and laughed, like we were monkeys who had just stolen a traveler's bananas.  I have no idea how he managed to get that out of it, but he somehow did.  Weird.

Bananas and Monkeys

Have you ever thought about why monkeys like bananas?  I suppose it's just how God made them, but why do we always stereotype monkeys as eating bananas?  An artist paints a monkey, looks at the monkey's hands, and says:  "Hmm.  There's something missing.  Something yellow and curved.  I've got it!  A banana."

But aside from that, banana is a funny word.

Banana Song 

This is the song that the monkeys sing!
Banananananananananananana
When it comes to them the banana is king!
Banananananananananananana


Isn't that fun?  

Singalongs and Monkeys

And that brings to mind another question:  Do monkeys have singalongs?  I'm inclined to say not, but in that song I put "This is the song that the monkeys sing!"  But maybe they just sing by themselves and try not to let the other monkeys hear them.  Maybe they fly into a panic when they realized their neighbors just heard them.  And maybe they all hear each other all the time but think that no one can hear them when they sing.

*snicker* "Stupid neighbor thinks I can't hear him.  I can hear him but he can't hear me!  Tee hee."

What a sad community, filled with mistaken monkeys, and badly-fated bananas.