A dystopia is a portrayal of a fictional human society in which human nature is at its worst in an attempt to warn its audience of specific detrimental characteristics of modern society and motivate change. Two examples of texts which have served as a warning to their contemporary audiences from this genre include the 1972 novel Z for Zachariah written by Robert C. O’Brien and the 2011 feature film In Time. Z for Zachariah follows a young woman by the name of Ann Burden who finds herself alone and stuck in the past after a nuclear war wiped out all of her surroundings and her journey as she finds another human walk into her life. In Time is the story of a man, Will Salas, fighting against the corrupt and power-hungry government and elite in …show more content…
Though they may be different mediums and portray very different worlds, both of these texts explore the dystopian features of power and control stratification and the danger of technology through the use of symbolism, characterisation, setting and dialogue. In this essay, alternative readings will be made regarding these two texts and in determining their similarities and differences. Both Z for Zachariah and In Time can be read as a warning about the human desire to play God and the negative consequences of this. O’Brien uses Z for Zachariah’s characters and the power dynamics between them to present the dystopian theme of power and control. When we are first introduced to the man who has walked into Ann’s life, the power dynamics between the two are immediately established. The title he is given is ‘Mr Loomis’, which already shows the power he holds over Ann, and automatically Ann fulfils the stereotypical female role as she cares for the sick man. As the story progresses, Loomis gets better without Ann’s knowledge and here the audience are presented with his knack for turning the innocent and ordinary into a tool of oppression. One example of Mr. Loomis asserting his power in this way is late in the novel after Ann runs away as a result of his sexual advances, “And suddenly this small friendly dog…is an