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Aaron Mendoza
Mrs. Greene
Capstone- 7th Period
18 November 2016
Elements and Style: The Evolution of Young Adult Dystopian Novels
Introduction
The dystopian genre has been prevalent since the early twentieth century, a time when
many feared the power that the government wields and were afraid that communism would take
hold in their country. Authors of this time period believed that the best way to connect with their
audience, people who have experienced war and the economy in fluctuation, was to sympathize
with and target their fears. The general public of this time were just starting to break down
barriers, exploring their own individuality. Therefore by targeting this newly developed sense of
self, the public would be scared into taking action.
Modern authors now seek to create a story with their audience. To bring attention to the
effects that our actions have on this planet. They want us to notice our consumption of the
Earths limited resources, the effects of war on the people, planet, and our future. Modern authors
are inspired by all these events around us, but these events are those that are draining the life out
of Earth. They fear sustainability, whether Earth will be around for our children, and their
children. Their audience is one that is taking the most initiative concerning our future on Earth.
Modern authors have started to blur the lines between adult and young adult fiction.
In result, they have generated such rapid and intense growth in popularity for the genre
that has never been seen before. The modern style of young adult dystopian literature has

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evolved for the better since it allows not only a wider target audience but also because the
message within each novel can communicate easier.

Evolution of Style
Dystopian authors of the twentieth and twenty first century have developed such different
styles that they are almost in different genres. The older novelists utilize fear as their main
element, whereas modern authors tend to use hope and promise.
The government is a key component in older novels because in most pieces they strip the
basic rights of their people in order to control societys opinion so they wont endanger a
perfectly functional system. These governments try so hard to create a level of Sameness
among their citizens when in reality they are simply preventing any progression in society. A
dystopia becomes successful when it finally removes the individuality from the individual; the
humanity from human (Ferris). This is absolutely true as it is seen in both 1984 and especially
The Giver. The evolution of society is due to the differences of opinion each person has, but
these differences are instead perceived as threats in this genre. To solve this issue, the
government would have to destroy ones sense of self through psychology. In The Giver every
home is exactly the same; furnished only to serve the basic functions of a place to live. This
prevents any external stimulants that promote creativity, even nature is controlled to have the
feeling of Sameness. In doing so, the government has successfully confined a persons
individuality and forces them into the thoughts of the collective many.
The authors purpose of this situation concerns her thoughts on the effect that the media
has placed on us, the mouthpiece of the government. The media essentially holds in their hands
the ability to filter what and how much information the public obtains. In doing so, they therefore
control which stimulants we receive and how our brains perceive that information. In these older

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dystopian novels, the author, who is influenced by the events of their time, wants to warn the
people that they need to examine the world on their own instead of blatantly following the
crowd. Therefore, the author is targeting aspects of society and is blowing them out of proportion
in order for the audience to take notice and take action before it goes too far.
In the modern novels of the dystopian genre, the author is a little more subtle in their
attempts to warn the audience of our current prevailing issue, limited resources, by cloaking it in
an easily relatable story of an adolescent protagonist. Authors of the newer installations of
dystopian literature are able to pass on their warning because more and more teenagers are
picking up dystopian books that help them to connect with characters and themes that relate to
the struggles they are dealing with during adolescence(Ryan). The protagonists are basically set
up as adolescents because it is a time of discovering ones identity, and by doing so we examine
the world around us.
In The Hunger Games Katniss, the main protagonist, faces the issue of a government
with complete authority over the limited resources left in her country while exploring who she is
as a person and finding love along the way. Our society is more in tune with actions and
situations around us due to technology such as the internet, smartphones, the media. Therefore
teenagers are able to gather and in some cases witness events that would otherwise be out of
reach. Since they can see and understand these situations, teenagers find young adult dystopian
novels easily relatable since they have to acknowledge that we are in an energy crisis; that the
earth only has so many resources before we exhaust them and consequently connect with the
struggles that Katniss experiences. This is a major achievement for the author because she is able
to communicate with the audience, people who are young and innovative enough to take action.
Multiple authors in the past two decades have also followed this general format and are

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succeeding since more people than ever are working to achieve proper resource usage whether
they followed this field on their own or subliminally. Also in these novels the government is
usually involved, not as extensive as the older pieces of the dystopian genre, but present
nevertheless. This is because the author is trying to tell his audience that we as a people must
take matters into our own hands, not follow the people in the novel who generally leave
decision making in the hands of an elite minority (Newman). Overall the authors of our time
period are succeeding in making their message come through because they are motivating the
people through the relationship developed between the writer and the reader.

Elements Used in YA Dystopian Novels

In the dystopian genre there is a rift between modern and older novels, but a common
element between the two is the authors preference of creating an alternate timeline or an
alternate reality. The differences between an alternate timeline and reality are based on whether
the history of the audiences time period is used as context in the novel. An alternate timeline is
evident when our actions, such as the modern consumption of resources or the aftermath of war,
is seen as context in the novel and typically is seen in a post-apocalyptic setting. For instance, in
The Hunger Games, Panem rose up out of the ashes of a place that was once called North
America(Collins). It has been ravaged by the disasters, the droughts, the storms, the fires, the
encroaching seas that swallowed up so much of the land, [and] the brutal war for what little
sustenance remained(Collins). Effects that couldve caused these natural disasters would be the
rapid consumption of limited resources, causing global temperatures to rise, which would cause
the sea level to rise due to melting ice caps. The rapid change in ocean level can devastate land
masses due the sheer volume it has.

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An alternate reality is seen when the background of the novel is barely described; it
typically throws the reader into a new world. The author aims to start fresh and develop a new
way to portray their message. Therefore rather than placing a direct warning or one that is
obvious to the casual reader, it allows the audience to come to a slow realization of the authors
warning. In 1984, the government alters history in the Records Department in the Ministry of
Truth, where it has vast repositories where the corrected documents were stored... hidden
furnaces where the original copies were destroyed and decide whether this fragment of the
past should be preserved, that one falsified, and the other rubbed out of existence(Orwell).
Basically the government of Oceania is contorting history to fit this new reality that they are
developing. Other notable traits are that alternate realities can sometimes be seen as post
apocalyptic, a different language or culture is evident. When the author creates an alternate
reality, it is mostly seen as an over exaggerated theory but still is able to impact the audience due
to the sheer audacity and contrast between our society and the one he has developed.
Authors that use alternate timelines are blatant about the message they are trying to
portray in hopes of motivating the audience to take action as soon as possible. They try to bring
to attention the actions that we can change as individuals. Rather than making huge societal
changes, the author tries to communicate with the audience of current situations. They want the
reader to know that we can make a difference when it comes to the modern consumption
resources and that we can help promote peace in one-on-one interactions which would slowly
spread as a global phenomenon. Also they try to mention it is a warning of what is to come. As
the famous writers of dystopia, Ray Bradbury and John Brunner said that they were not trying to
predict the future of dystopia but to prevent it(Sar, Murni). The usage of a direct message in the
form of an alternate timeline shocks the reader and causes them to feel doubtful of the society

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they live in. This would cause them to try and any changes that they as individuals are able to do.
These alternate timelines are very possible and reflect on human actions on the planet, which is
why it is such a shock when we come to terms with the consequences. The Hunger Games
highlights the drastic effects of war and we as members of society react to it. This direct contrast
in our society, one that seems to have the same people in the same place but at a different time
period, allows for the reader to take note of any discrepancies in their environment. Otherwise,
Collins is telling us that even though we do live in a dog-eat-dog world, we dont need to resort
to needlessly killing each other in order for our views to come across.
The authors use of alternate realities falls more in line with warning individuals of the
external forces in our lives, such as government control and shifts in societys thought process.
The form of which the author tries to warn the audience is one that is more circumnavigating, in
which it goes in a circle until the reader is able to decipher and come to the conclusion that is the
novels message. This style typically mocks aspects of society. The Giver looks at how the
general hive mind of society prevents people from speaking out and trying to incite change. It
goes further by showing that your background shouldnt go on to define where you end up. That
there will be new experiences to help mold your mindset and that you have the absolute final say
in your destiny. While the reader does casually take note of this, it takes a bit longer for them to
realize that this lesson can be applied to their own society because of the stark contrast between
realities. Alternate realities also show traits that this world is generally more oppressive. It is
exaggerated in such a way as to cause people look at it in disbelief but cause them to examine
their surroundings. 1984 drastically exaggerates the control the government has on the people but
also shows that knowing our history does have profound effects on how citizens of that nation
interact with others. Winston seems to recall that around 30 people he knew have disappeared in

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this way, over the years. This type of practice is partially reminiscent of the frequent deportations
or discrediting of disloyal party members in the Soviet Union (Hellerung 79). History
constantly goes on and on about how we must know our past to prevent the same mistakes and to
learn from them. By erasing this history and essentially creating a new universe, the people must
come to their own conclusions but without the advantages of having external stimulants such as
the past.

Trends
The young adult genre has become revolutionized since it now uses content that is
usually seen in adult fiction, but the trends are always changing. The distinction between adult
and young adult fiction lies in the styles the author writes in. In adult fiction, the writer develops
a darker tone and utilizes heavy elements to make the reader think but is generally a slow and
dragging read. Whereas young adult fiction is quick and never has a dull moment which holds
the audiences attention but still finishes with a happy ending. Now the two genres have fused
together and is most commonly seen in young adult dystopian fiction, a genre that focuses on
overcoming in a doom and gloom situation, such as the apocalypse, [and] is currently surging in
popularity (McCurdy). This is mainly due to movie adaptations of novels by modern authors
such as The Hunger Games and Divergent. The genre has characters that the audience easily
relate to because they encounter similar experiences that are similar to modern teenagers, such as
discovering ones identity, self doubt, and relationship issues, but are still able to face external
challenges and come out on top. This provides a sense of hope that these awkward teenage years
is not the worst that life has to offer and could actually be the best since you have the opportunity
to reinvent yourself.

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Advancements in technology not only allow adolescents to have access to dystopian
books and movies on handheld devices, but also allows authors to warn their audience of our
dependence on machines. According to Ames (PhD in 20th Century American Literature and
Culture), contemporary dystopian fiction, and the utopian fiction it derives from, often includes
a critique of a postmodern, advanced technological society gone awry and calls for social
change. These kinds of texts mirror and criticize reality, forcing readers to consider reality,
ironically at the same time as they are escaping from it (2013). The main character of The
Maze Runner, Thomas, faces the possibility that he would never be able to escape the maze,
This is my life. Living in a giant maze, surrounded by hideous beasts (Dashner). Similar to
how Thomas is trying to make sense of the maze, the audience has to make decisions everyday in
hopes of reaching the ultimate goal of having a life they are proud of; or in Thomass case,
escaping the maze. This is a parallel between literature and reality because we are surrounded by
obstacles and must choose whether we want to submit to challenges we face or to keep fighting
in hopes of conquering the maze of life. Authors exaggerate possible elements of fear and turns
them into both a form of entertainment and warning. Currently, similar situations happen all
around us, such as war, natural and potential supernatural disasters. Reading how a young adult,
just like the audience, is able to conquer these challenges and overcome their own internal
obstacles makes readers feel as if they can take anything the world throws at them.
The genre has adopted many elements from its more mature counterpart, in which it
utilizes a much darker tone and wields character deaths just as easily. By blurring the lines
between young adult and adult fiction, authors are now able to reach out to a wider audience
because it now has the fast paced, yet easy read of a novel intended for teenagers but the
shocking twists and turns of a mature piece. Award winning author Neal Shusterman is notorious

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for pushing the limits in his young adult pieces. In his series, The Unwind Dystology, he tackles
the controversial issue of abortion, but with a much darker twist. The Heartland War, was a
long and bloody conflict fought over a single issue [of abortion]. To end the war, a set of
constitutional amendments known as The Bill of Life was passed The Bill of Life states that
human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of
thirteen. However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent may choose to
retroactively "abort" a child . . . ... on the condition that the child's life doesn't technically end.
The process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive is called unwinding
(Shusterman). Basically, the government is allowing for parents to abort their child by sending
them to a facility where their body is dismantled and is used in surgery. Not only is Shusterman
bringing into attention that abortion is unethical (in his opinion) but is also able to entice his
readers to continue reading by spinning together a story that utilizes elements of adult fiction
(such as a dark, dreary tone and character death) combined with aspects of young adult fiction
(romance and a happy ending). The evolution of the young adult genre has helped to facilitate its
current popularity because not only does it have aspects that the audience can relate to but is
exciting enough that it will provide a sense of thrill that entices young adults to pick up a book
before it comes on the big screen.
Not only is the dystopian genre surging in literature but it is prevalent in multi-platforms
such as movies and television since many people today are aware of the catastrophic events
around and are still interested in seeing how people would react in such a dire situation. Ever
since the box office hit, The Hunger Games was released, there has been a huge movement in the
movie industry in which books are now being developed into movie adaptations. Associate
Professor Christopher Schmidt claims that one explanation is that these films allow us to reflect

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on the harsh realities of our present moment, on conditions that are difficult to confront head-on.
Though ostensibly set in the future, the post-apocalyptic mode can function as a window on, and
critique of, the present, as Fredric Jameson has argued in his study of science fiction and utopian
fiction. By believing in this, authors have succeeded in warning their audience of the dangers on
whatever theyre presenting; which most likely would contain the government in dystopian
movies. Having these stories go from text to the big screen allows for the audience to make sense
of the setting the author has chosen mainly because it extends from their imagination of an
alternate reality. This huge influx of dystopian movies and novels causes the reader to be a little
overwhelmed. While it is beneficial that people are now taking notice of all these danger signs
around us, the consumer would be more selective as the market fills and some publishers will
get burned if [vloggers] are overpaid or not published with imagination. (Eyre) This means that
readers are now familiar with the common themes and the exciting plot of a dystopian novel. If
authors dont keep coming up with fresh and original ideas that actually hold value, then they
simply cant compete with the rest.

Conclusion
Every writers dream is to be able to create a piece of literature that leaves a lasting
impact upon his or hers audience/society. The young adult dystopian genre is probably the most
extensive and analytical because it not only causes the reader to connect with the character but it
also conveys a warning; to take another look at the world around us and really think about what
we are willing to take, or will we step up and change the situation. Older novels had authors
worried about the overwhelming fear of a communist government taking complete control over
the people, while modern pieces concerns the fear of exhausting our planet and becoming
bystanders. The young adult dystopian genre is the perfect combination in literature. It unites

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young adult and adult themes, romance with action, science fiction and history, and have a
philosophical message mixed with fantasy. The genre has evolved into something almost
completely different from its older counterparts. Instead of trying to strike fear into the hearts of
the audience, modern authors spin a story that immerses the reader/viewer into an exciting tale of
good conquering evil. The young adult genre is still changing, bringing in more political
viewpoints from the early dystopian pieces but with an added twist of fantasy and action. Overall
the dystopian genre will continue to develop and expand under the young adult flagship because
it not only attracts and entertains consumers but it also still carries the soul of early authors in
trying to ensure that the people are properly forewarned of danger.

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Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. London: Scholastic, 2010. Print
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