
A recently popular theme in culture is dystopia. Its presence can be found in several books, movies, and TV shows. “Game of Thrones”, “The Hunger Games” and the “Harry Potter” series are examples of this theme. However, in those series characters are more depicted and few could relate to them. In the novels, The Giver, written by Lois Lowry, and Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, dystopia is an evident theme and the characters are more relatable. This theme in dystopia is more appealing to a broader spectrum of audiences 

In The Giver, the story is narrated in third person but with a main perspective of the life of Jonas. Jonas lives in the future, and lives in a seemingly utopian society. There are no wars, violence, no one starves and everyone is “happy”.  However, as the story progresses the society truly isn’t all that desirable. Jonas is eleven years old and in this society, once a person reaches the age of twelve, the elders (the governing body in this society) assigns the individual a job (Lowry). It’s a large ceremony and the whole town takes part in it including Jonas’ classmates. However, when it is time to assign jobs, Jonas is skipped over and at the end is announced he will become the “Receiver of Memory” (Lowry). This is a very important job in this society, only one person is selected from each generation. Jonas is assigned a rule book that states everything he will learn in training is strictly confidential and can be told to no one, not even his family. To receive this training, he must travel to the outskirts of the city and train with the old receiver whom has now been dubbed the title, “The Giver” (Lowry).  The Giver is an elderly man and tells Jonas that he contains all knowledge and of life before the city. The Giver tells him that the cycle has repeated itself and every time a new receiver is selected the old one gives him the knowledge so it is never lost. To give him this knowledge The Giver must use a special technique to transfer memories of a world long ago, life before the city, because there are no books. As the Giver begins his training, Jonas learns that books aren’t the only thing missing from this city, color (everyone is black and white “colorblind”) there is no music, laughter, no holidays, no humanity (Lowry). Jonas learns that for generations, society has been brainwashed to be this lifeless, emotionless, driven only to serve the rules of the elders. However, this becomes a problem for Jonas, he begins to see in color, hear different sounds, and feel emotions. He becomes confused, and angry and seeks The Giver’s help only to be told that, it is his burden and duty as a giver...it is his curse (Lowry).  Determined to find a world out there and leave this place Jonas takes the last memory the Giver has to offer…death. Jonas learns no one has really died in this society. Instead they are escorted to a mountain, entered into some factory or laboratory at the peak. The one whom is sentenced to death (by age or decree of the elders) is euthanized and dumped down a chute. Jonas devises a plan and uses this chute to escape, determined to find the truth (Lowry).

Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, is about a man named Guy Montag whom also lives in the supposed future. This society is much like the one in The Giver except there are no elders and there is no “receiver” nor “giver”. The society in which Montag lives in rejects any form of creativity because it “lowers social growth” (Bradbury). Television, music, books, art is all banned from this city. Montag is a fireman in this city, however it’s not the usual role a modern fireman would have. Montag’s job is to start fires, burn books, anything that the city deems illegal. Until one day Montag meets his neighbor Clarisse McClellan, whom is a seventeen-year-old girl who is very chatty unlike everyone in the city (Bradbury). She talks to him about the importance of books, art, and culture and how she’s secretly rebelling against the city. One day she goes missing, and Montag is concerned. She never returns and Montag assumes the city found out. Later in the novel Montag is ordered to burn down an elderly lady’s home because she has a secret stash of books. When Montag pours gasoline on the pile of books and begins to light the fire, the elderly lady throws herself onto the pile and burns with them (Bradbury). Much to Montag’s disbelief this is the point to where he recognizes that maybe Clarisse was right…books were important. Fortunately, he missed one book one that wasn’t burned yet…so he takes it and reads from it. Somehow authorities find out and a warrant goes out for his arrest (Bradbury). He uses the opportunity to flee from the city, much to his disbelief there is a community of people outside the city much like him. They know the importance of books, art, and culture. Montag and this newly found group vow to search and explore the world and spread this knowledge and seek the truth that has been hidden for so long (Bradbury).

Dystopia is a common theme in novels, and in my opinion, many of the most successful dystopian novels have a main character many people could relate to. In the Harry Potter series Harry is very depicted and few could relate to him. Few could relate to being an orphan male with a forehead scar and magic powers but the dystopian theme is still present. In books like Fahrenheit 451, Montag isn’t drastically depicted. He’s a strong man and very goal orientated, his past is unknown.  In the novel, The Giver, Jonas isn’t depicted at all, due to the lack of colors being presented in the city. The only known information is he’s just a twelve-year-old boy. When the main character is less depicted in novels the reader can relate to him/her more and that’s why these types of books become so successful. The thought where one individual, a regular person, could save a dysfunctional city, or the world, appeals to a broader spectrum of readers, especially teenagers and young adults.
