Dystopia
A fictional future society characterised by oppressive control, environmental collapse, technological dominance, or social decay. Dystopias imagine worst-case futures, often to critique present societies.
Real World
Margaret Atwood wrote 'The Handmaid's Tale' in response to the political climate of Reagan-era America, amplifying existing patterns of misogyny and religious conservatism into the totalitarian regime of Gilead as a cautionary extrapolation.
Exam Focus
Always connect the dystopian feature to its real-world satirical target; examiners reward contextual understanding of the genre as social critique.
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