Facilitation of critical thinking and ethical awareness by reading dystopian literature

Abstract

This thesis explores the potential of dystopian literature to facilitate critical thinking and ethical awareness, drawing on the theories of Martha Nussbaum and Wayne C. Booth to provide a theoretical framework for analysis. The study focuses on two classic dystopian novels, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. It analyzes how these novels invite reflections on societal issues and the self and depict critical thinking as important. Through close readings and analysis of specific passages, the analysis demonstrates how dystopian literature can be used to promote critical thinking and ethical awareness. By collecting empirical data, this argumentation can be bolstered further, and is a possible next step for this field.