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I.

Research Question

Why are dystopian novels so popular with teens today and how do they affect teens view of the
world?
II.

Research Rationale

Dystopian novels are taking over the young adult world. They litter the shelves of the teen section
in bookstores and libraries. The movie adaptations are blockbusters, and many times are better known
than the books themselves. But these movies would not have been made if the books themselves were not
widely read. Many of these books have similar plots and premises, so while teens would be expected to
tire of them quickly, dystopian novels have been on young adult bestseller lists for most of the 21st
century.
Just as people usually read articles that have views they agree with, they often read books that
express views they agree with as well. The books that people read for pleasure are usually about topics
they care about. While it seems that teenagers and the younger voter demographic are becoming less and
less politically active, they love to read dystopian novels, which hyperbolize world issues. Although teens
are not explicitly showing so, the popularity of dystopian novels may reflect their interest in political
issues and impact how they see the worlds problems.
Dystopian novels first became popular at the beginning of the 20th century, and their popularity
surged in the middle of that century. Classics such as 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 explored worries about
communism and surveillance that were prevalent during the 1950s and 1960s, and prompted readers to
change the aspects of society that could lead to those horrible futures. Since then, dystopian novels have
enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity and abundance. The Hunger Games series, the icon of this
dystopian phenomenon, recently surpassed the Harry Potter series as the bestselling young adult book
series.
While it is important to reflect on the past and the future when considering the world today,
reflecting on our own generation is also important. As young adults who read dystopian novels, we want
to know how the books we love influence how we think. To understand the influence that these books
have, we have to know why they are popular and why they have this power to influence. Widespread and
popular literature has the ability to change and affect the way people think. Current popular themes in
dystopian novels reflect the views of teens regarding their distrust of the government and the
governments control for the greater good. One of the most prevalent ideas in dystopian novels is a
corrupt, controlling government, and this repetition could be putting ideas of conspiracy into teens

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minds. These books could be introducing similar ideas subconsciously into our own minds and even
changing our views on certain issues.
The books can also change how we think about common young adult issues, such as the value of
individuality. The majority of the plot of dystopian novels revolves around an individual who, by being
different and not conforming, is able to save their world. By reading numerous stories about the power of
being an individual, teens may be relating to the protagonists struggles and exploring their own
individuality. It is important to learn about the impact that dystopian novels are having on teens because
we can relate to many of the topics in these books, and they might have a similar impact on us. As
dystopian literature is one of the most popular genres of literature for young adults, it has the power to
change the way youth around the world think, especially regarding these themes.
Teens are the future of the world. Current world leaders have to look at the interests of teens
today so they can stay with the times. Dystopian novels can reveal what teens are thinking and concerned
about. They focus on various global issues and the idea that the search for certain goals means giving up
something else. These common topics show teens values in the world and what problems they perceive to
be important. This information can be used in political propaganda and policy making to further engage
teens. Policy making that looks at teens global and societal values can also help the country continue to
grow and adapt to the times. These dystopian novels also shed a light on social and cultural issues, as
technology is becoming more prominent in society today. Many dystopian novels also echo common teen
experiences such as the struggle to fit in or getting bullied for being different. The social themes provide
insight into the young adult psyche and can contribute to the allure of dystopian novels for teens. These
topics are important to the world because dystopian novels may have the capacity to influence how teens
see the political and social problems facing them.
The popularity and impact of dystopian novels on teens is relevant and current because the books
are more popular now than they have ever been, especially among young adults. This project is significant
for world leaders because young adults are the future of the world, and looking at this trend is a useful
way of seeing what they think about world issues and how they may be influenced.
As this dystopian phenomenon shows no sign of stopping, our project can provide insight on the
views of young adults, which will aid policymakers and leaders around the world. Additionally, as
members of the main demographic reading dystopian novels, learning why they are so popular among
teens is important to understanding the views of our peers as well as our own views. Dystopian novels
have the power to change the world, and this project will indicate if they are doing so.

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II.

Popularity of Dystopian Novels

Teens today love dystopian novels. The reasons for this popularity fall under two main topics:

their relatability and the freedom of their characters. Teens can relate to the struggles and emotions of the
protagonists. The protagonists worry about their identity, not fitting in, and the consequences of their
actions, which teens worry about as well. Teens also envy the freedom of the characters and want to
experience it for themselves. Female protagonists in particular have more freedom from sexism in
dystopian novels than they do in the real world, and teenage girls can experience this lack of
discrimination through the novels. All of these reasons make dystopian literature one of the most popular
genres for teens.
Dystopian literature appeals to teenagers because it discusses issues and themes that teens are
beginning to think about. Justin Scholes and Jon Ostenson, two English teachers who analyzed sixteen
dystopian novels to find out why dystopian novels appeal to teens, explain that dystopian novels that
wrestle with deeper societal and moral issues are often well received by young minds that are developing
the ability and even willingness to grapple with complex ideas (6-7). As adolescents grow, they develop
critical thinking skills and an interest in the world around them that dystopian novels help foster. Teens
are also beginning to think about the flaws in their society and their place in the world, a main theme in
dystopian novels (Scholes & Ostenson 7). They are plagued by worries about their identity, how they will
act in the future, and what the repercussions of these actions might be (Scholes & Ostenson 7). Dystopian
novels tell the story of teens plagued with the same fears, where the protagonists are able to realize their
identity in a way that teens hope they will be able to replicate.
The main characters of dystopian novels face familiar problems that come with being a teen,
which teenage readers can relate to. The characters in the books, no matter where they come from, go
through the same emotional struggles. Rachel Scherzer, a student at Otterbein University, wrote in her
thesis, Young Adult Dystopian Literature as Social Change Evolution, that the characters define the
human as an individual, independent being that is defined by inner feelings that humans implicitly share
(17). That similar experience of emotional trials creates a sense of equality between the reader and the
protagonist.
Teens can also relate to the rebellious attitudes of the protagonists. Dystopian protagonists always
want to rebel against the government. As teens are growing up, they frequently want to rebel against their
parents or whatever system they feel is oppressing them to make up for the lack of power they have. By
reading the books, teens live out their own adolescent anxieties and lack of power by watching
characters launch successful rebellions against worlds that strived to push them down (Scherzer 19).

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Teens can similarly relate to the social change that the protagonists want to enact because they want to do
something alike in their own lives.
Protagonists in dystopian novels also face other trials of adolescence that teens can relate to. The
protagonist has to go out and save the world because no one else can. Any choice they make can have
enormous consequences and could destroy the world. Teens feel a similar weight on their shoulders as
they feel pressured by their parents and other authority figures in their life to make decisions regarding
their future (Scholes & Ostenson 7). As teens grow older, they begin to change interests and choose life
paths. These choices regarding their studies, extracurricular activities, and colleges can distance
themselves from their peers. As a result, teens find kindred spirits, then, in the protagonists of dystopian
literature who, by virtue of their growing awareness of society's flaws, find themselves similarly isolated
from adults and even from their own peers (Scholes & Ostenson 8). Many teens also worry about not
fitting in among their peers. In dystopian novels, primarily the Divergent series, characters are given the
status of a hero for their inability to fit in (Smith 12). This comforts and encourages teens who feel
isolated for their differences.
The freedom of the characters in dystopian novels, which teens wish they had in the real world,
also accounts for the books popularity. In her paper, Permission to Diverge: Gender in Young Adult
Dystopian Literature, Hannah Smith focuses on why teen girls in particular love dystopian novels. She
found that, In experiencing the lives of these subversive young females, readers can experience a level of
freedom from oppression and freedom to play with gender not possible in the real world (Smith 5). In
dystopian novels, the male and female characters are usually equal and the female characters are allowed
to compete on the same level as the male characters. Additionally, many dystopian novels take place in a
world where a plethora of femininities are accepted as normal, radically different from the modern
America where many of the readers live, where only one version of femininity, hegemonic femininity, is
allowed (Smith 7-8). Female characters can be more masculine and are permitted to do anything the
male characters can do. This lack of gender roles is appealing to teen girls who feel oppressed by the
sexism they face in the real world.
Dystopian novels are very popular today, mainly because of their protagonists. Teens feel that
they can relate to the protagonists because they are teenagers as well. The protagonists go through the
same trials of adolescence, feel the same emotions, and are worried about the same things. Dystopian
protagonists can see the flaws in their societies and want to rebel against them, just like teens. The
protagonists also go through the same struggle to find their identity and place in the world as teens do.
The protagonists experience more freedom because the girls are not oppressed by sexism and are treated

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the same as the boys. Subsequently, teens and want to be just like the protagonists. The novels allow
readers to live vicariously through the characters that they envy and relate to.
III.

Pessimism About the Future

Dystopian novels are also popular because their negative portrayal of the future aligns with many

peoples negative views. These books and people in general are pessimistic about the effectiveness of the
government and the future. The negativity in the books may cause teens to be more cynical, or teens
already established worries might make them want to read these pessimistic books. There is conflicting
information about which generation is the most pessimistic, but this can be attributed to the different
populations surveyed in the various sources.
The authors own pessimism is reflected in the books they write. Adults optimism concerning the
future for youth is at an all-time low. A majority of them say that it is very or somewhat unlikely that
todays youth will have a better life than their parents (Mendes 2). The authors of dystopian novels wrote
those books at that time when most people were pessimistic, so the negative views in their writing
parallels a similar sentiment among many other people. Additionally, as people get older, they get more
pessimistic about the future. While 45 percent of 30- to 49-year-olds believe that todays youth will be
better off than their parents, that percentage decreases to 37 for seniors (Mendes 2-3). Most of the authors
of dystopian novels are in that demographic where less than half believe that the younger generation will
have a better life than them, and the books they write are a reflection of that pessimism.
The teenage and young adult generation shares the pessimistic view of the future that many adults
have. In a study conducted in the United Kingdom, only 37 percent of teens expect their lives to be better
than their parents, while 70% of Baby Boomers believe that they have had a better life than their
parents (Chhatralia et. al. 10). The unstable economy and increased competition for jobs decreases teens
confidence in their ability to buy a house or get a good job and therefore have a secure life. In the United
States, teens have a similar lack of optimism for their future. Between 2008 and 2013, there was a steep
drop in the number of teens who were hopeful about the future, falling 22 percent in that five year period
(Horatio Alger Association 2). One reason for their pessimism is that teens have many worries about the
state of the country as a result of tragic events such as the terrorist attacks on September 11 and the
ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The combination of adults and teens alike being pessimistic about the
future creates a wide market for dystopian books, which reflect this pessimism, to be written and read.
In addition to being pessimistic about the future in general, many people are distrustful of the
government. Only 14 percent of teens in the U.K. think that the government will do a good job in
running the country in the year ahead and less than half thinking they are treated fairly by the

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government (Chhatralia et. al. 16). A recent study by Pew Research Center in the U.S. found similar
results, with only about a quarter of young adults saying that they trust the government (Beyond Distrust
23). Not only are teens distrustful of the government, but Americans trust in their government is at an
historic low. The major decline in trust of the government in the U.S. started as a result of the Vietnam
War, civil unrest, and the Watergate scandal in the 1960s and 1970s (Beyond Distrust 18). Americans
trust in their government is largely dependent on important issues around the world and how the
government addresses those problems. Stories about unsuccessful tactics in Vietnam and how violently
the police were treating protesters rapidly eroded Americans trust in their government. They have
continued to lose trust in the government, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is decreasing their
level of trust as well. Today, with only 19 percent of Americans saying that they can trust the government,
that percentage is at an all-time low (Beyond Distrust 18).
In addition to distrusting the government in general, Americans are skeptical about specific
aspects of the government. 76 percent of Americans believe the government is run by a few big
interests rather than being run for the benefit of all people (Beyond Distrust 35). Many people think
that the government is corrupt and does not listen to them. Therefore, 59% believe the government needs
very major reform (Beyond Distrust 28). To improve the effectiveness of the government, some people
think that its size and scope should be decreased, while others believe that members of Congress should
be more willing to compromise.
These themes are reflected in dystopian novels because the protagonists want to improve the
world that they live in. The pessimistic attitude toward the government here is reflected in those books.
The main characters take matters into their own hands to run their nations better and treat everyone
equally. For example, Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior, the main characters of Suzanne Collinss The
Hunger Games series and Veronica Roths Divergent series, become leaders of movements to overthrow
the government once they realize it is corrupt. Teens are relating to and possibly expressing their worries
about an effective government by reading dystopian novels.
18- to 25-year-olds, the tail end of the teenage and young adult demographic, largely agree that
the government is run by a few big interests and needs major reforms (Beyond Distrust 30). That statistic
shows a major correlation between the pessimism in dystopian novels and teens. A main focus of
dystopian novels is overthrowing a corrupt government, and the fact that a majority of Americans believe
that the current government needs major reform might be what is making them read those books. Instead
of being politically engaged in a traditional way such as voting, teens may be doing so and expressing
their views through the books.

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III.

Parallel Themes in Dystopian Novels and Real Life

Teens are obviously extremely worried about their future, the government, and current events.

Dystopias are societies where the ideals for improvement have gone tragically amok. Their purpose is to
critique problems the authors see in the real world and hyperbolize these problems in order to warn about
their possible repercussions. Many parallels can be found between events in dystopian novels and events
in the real world. Over time, dystopian novels have expanded to critique a wider variety of issues. Early
novels focused on criticisms of the government and their actions. Today, dystopian novels also critique
trials teens face and environmental issues. The critiques today can also be more subtle. Current dystopian
novels criticize issues that teens are concerned about, causing them to possibly have an effect on teens
views of these issues.
Dystopian authors have always paralleled real life in their novels. During the twentieth century,
when those books were first becoming popular, the authors were fairly explicit about the political and
cultural parallels they portrayed. For example, in the Cold War era, popular dystopian novels such as
1984, by George Orwell, echoed the widespread paranoia and fear of government surveillance that was
prevalent in American society at the time (Hung 2). The books reflected the common worry that being
different and having independent thought was bad by exaggerating the governments desire to control all
of its citizens.
Another classic dystopian novel that was popular during the Cold War era is Ray Bradburys
Fahrenheit 451. The novel was used as an allegory to Senator Joseph McCarthys power, censorship,
and the scorching of individualism and self-knowledge in American society ("How Dystopian Futures Are
Merely Mirrors Into Our Own Society" 3). Historical dystopian novels also incorporated buzzwords of
the time to explicitly show the relation between the novel and the real world. In The Female Man, a
dystopian novel written during the Second Wave Feminist Movement, Joanna Russ uses words such as
she, he, time, man, and woman to call attention to the feminist campaign (Hung 3). These real
world parallels incorporated into dystopian novels were used to emphasize the political and cultural issues
of the time.
Today, some dystopian novels are used to underscore problems the authors see regarding the
overall teen experience. According to the Wall Street Journal,
Divergent is really an extended metaphor about the trials of modern adolescence:
constantly having to take tests that sort and rank you among your peers, facing separation
from your family, agonizing about where you fit in, and deciding when (or whether) to
reveal the ways you might diverge from the group. ("How Dystopian Futures Are Merely
Mirrors Into Our Own Society" 2)

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All of these are common trials that teens have to deal with in their lives, hyperbolized by the novel. The
author saw that these were issues that teens were facing and wanted to call attention to the possible harm
they can cause to students and society. Other popular dystopian novels also call attention to the problem
of bullying in schools and its effect on students and their relationships with others. These authors are
critiquing the tremendous levels of stress put on students today and the negative consequences that they
often have.
Many dystopian novels critique the action, or inaction, of the government. For example, the
Capitol in The Hunger Games series is seen as brutal and bloodthirsty for its sacrifice of youth in the
annual Hunger Games. This parallels the recent war in Iraq:
In Iraq, 4,486 mostly young Americans died. If you want to count Iraqis (which you should
indeed want to do), the deaths of babies, children, grandmothers, young men, and others total
more than 106,000 by the most conservative count, hundreds of thousands by others. Even the
lowest numbers represent enough kill to fill nearly 5,000 years of Hunger Games. (Solnit)
Americans were outraged at their government for the sacrifice of this many people, though mostly the
deaths of Americans, and this novel is the authors response.
Another similarity between The Hunger Games series and real life is in the raffle for the Hunger
Games. Poverty is widespread throughout many of the districts, another reality in our world.
Impoverished youth can risk a higher chance of being chosen to end up in the Hunger Games by putting
their name in the drawing more times in order to get extra food rations to support their families. In the
real world, youth risk a higher chance of poverty by taking out student debts in order to get a good
education and hopefully a successful future (Solnit 3-4). Both of these high risk situations, one fictional
and one very much a reality, can have terrible consequences for teens, and so they are concerned about the
outcomes of taking these risks.
For those whose higher education does not get them a successful job, they end up in the one place
where meals are guaranteed: prison. Six million Americans are currently in prison, and America has the
highest percentage of prisoners per population in the world, higher than in the USSR gulags under Stalin
(Solnit 5). Prison can at many times echo the Hunger Games experience, where inmates are pitted against
each other in an almost gladiatorial way (Solnit 5). State violence also frequently appears in dystopian
novels. In The Hunger Games,
Violence is truly the arbitrator of power, along with cunning, whether in the ways the teenagers
survive in the gladiatorial arena or the Capitol, or how both sides operate in conflicts between the
Districts and the Capitol. In our own world, the state is very good at violence, whether in its wars
overseas or in pepper-spraying and clubbing young demonstrators. (Solnit 7)
State violence is usually seen as a type of subjugation by the government, which may be why many
dystopian authors choose to critique it in their novels. Teens are usually among the demonstrators who get

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attacked by police and are concerned about the consequences of standing up for their ideals. Dystopian
novels echo all of these safety and security concerns.
Climate change is a constant worry for many teens and is evident in dystopian novels. A major
theme in most dystopian novels is the destruction of the planet through major natural disasters, echoing
the environmental issues in the real world. Rebecca Solnit critiqued this issue, saying, remember
the unprecedented wildfires, the catastrophic floods, the heat waves, the bizarrely hot North American
January and other oddities? That's science fiction of the scariest sort, and we're in it (6). Most dystopian
novels have some level of environmental destruction or change in them, whether it is unpredictable
weather changes or the complete devastation of the planet. Climate change will have a drastic effect on
todays teens as it worsens over the years, and teens are anxious about its consequences.
Dystopian novels, by design, have clear parallels to real life. All of the topics prevalent in the
books are ones that teens are pessimistic about, especially those concerning the government and the future
of the world. Many of those problems affect teens right now, such as the trials of adolescence and student
loans. Others, such as climate change and prison conditions, could affect teens in the future. The focus on
issues that teens are anxious about gives the novels the potential to influence teens views on those issues.
IV.

Conclusion
Dystopian novels are popular because they discuss experiences that teenagers can relate to. The

characters in the books are about the same age as teenage readers. They go through the same trials and
triumphs that many teens go through as they are growing up and learning about themselves and the world
they live in. The books also allow teens to experience freedom in a way that they cannot in the real world.
Additionally, the protagonists in the books normalize and even encourage behaviors, such as
individualism, that teens worry about expressing.
While there is a clear correlation, there is no direct causation between the dystopian novels that
teens read and their views on the world. However, teens do seem to be worried about the future of the
world, and dystopian novels echo this fear. Teens are more pessimistic about their future than any other
generation and are recognizing problems in their world. This could at least in part be due to the novels
they read. Dystopian novels have themes and settings that echo teens fears about the future of the world
and what the government is doing, or not doing, to solve problems that impact that. By exaggerating the
outcome of many real world problems, such as climate change and wealth distribution, the books could be
increasing teens concerns about those issues.
However, the novels could also just be a reflection of teens growing awareness of and interest in
those issues. Dystopian authors want to sell books, so it is possible they are specifically choosing issues

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that teens are interested in or worried about to hyperbolize. This possibility makes this topic a sort of
chicken and egg question. It is possible that teens are worried about certain topics because they are
highlighted in dystopian novels. It is also possible that dystopian authors write about topics they know
teens are concerned about in order to pique their interest. Most likely, the answer is a combination of the
two. They dystopian authors may pick issues they know teens are upset about and teens may become
increasingly anxious about these issues due to the novels. There is currently no conclusive answer, but the
last possibility seems most likely.
The popularity of dystopian novels could be used to engage teens in current events. Whether as a
result of the books or not, there has already been some improvement in peoples awareness of global
issues. A recent survey shows that a majority of Americans believe that climate change is affecting the
weather, and by a 2-to-1 margin, the public says the weather has been getting worse, rather than better,
in recent years (Solnit 6). However, dystopian novels are not making as many leaps and bounds towards
equality as many people hope. While many of the protagonists are strong female characters, they are only
portrayed as such if they are underdogs. In Divergent, Triss small physique makes sure that she is always
at a disadvantage against all of the people she fights and is therefore always the underdog (Smith 18).
Readers root for Tris because rooting for the female underdog is acceptable in a way that rooting for the
woman at an advantage never will be (Smith 18). Though Tris lives in a society where sexism has been
eradicated, the sexism of the real world penetrates the novel to reinforce typical gender roles. While the
book portrays female characters in a relatively good light, they are only perceived as likeable because of
their non-threatening personality and stature.
Scholes and Ostenson suggest that since teens enjoy reading the novels, they could be used in
interdisciplinary studies. Students can study the books in English class, as they are read and analyze them.
In a government class, students could discuss the political systems in novels such as The Testing, by
Joelle Charbonneau. Teachers could use the books in science classes to discuss space travel or the
environment with books such as Under the Never Sky, by Veronica Rossi. The books could also be used to
discuss ethics of major issues, as Neal Shusterman does when he talks about abortion in Unwind. Teens
like to read dystopian novels, which would make them more interested in studying the books and their
themes.
There is no conclusive answer to the second part of this question. This study is based off the
works of other authors and until someone does a study to find out how dystopian novels affect how teens
see the world, there will not be a conclusive answer. However, there is a strong correlation between the
themes in dystopian novels and events in the real world that teens are concerned about. Dystopian novels
could be causing teens to see current events in a completely different light and become aware of

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potentially hazardous possibilities concerning the future. Regardless, teens love dystopian novels because
of their protagonists, which gives the novels a use. Maybe they can be used to bring awareness to
important issues such as climate change and make teens more politically active, or maybe they can just be
used to get students more interested in their classes. Their potential to influence teens gives dystopian
novels the power to change how future leaders think, and in turn, can change the world.

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V.

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and Own Future. PR Newswire. 5 Aug. 2008. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
"How Dystopian Futures Are Merely Mirrors Into Our Own Society." The Artifice., 2013. Web. 12 Nov.
2015.
Hung, Weslina. "From Reality to Fiction: A Study of 20th Century Dystopian Literature." 2014. TS.
Mendes, Elizabeth. "In U.S., Optimism About Future for Youth Reaches All-Time Low." Gallup. Gallup,
2 May 2011. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
Scherzer, Rachel. "Young Adult Dystopian Literature as Social Change Evolution." MA thesis. Otterbein
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Scholes, Justin, and Jon Ostenson. "Understanding the Appeal of Dystopian Young Adult Fiction." Alan
Review (2013): Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
Smith, Hannah, "Permission to Diverge: Gender in Young Adult Dystopian Literature" (2014). Gender
Studies Research Papers. Paper 1.
Solnit, Rebecca. "American Dystopia, Fiction or Reality?" TomDispatch.com. Nation Institute, 1 May
2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.