Dystopian Fiction as a Pedagogical Tool: Illuminating Democratic Principles and Values through Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron and Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four

Abstract

In this thesis, the main objective is to look at how dystopian fiction can be used to illuminate pupils on democratic principles and values. The two dystopian texts, Kurt Vonnegut Jr’s Harrison Bergeron and George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, will be used to exemplify why and how dystopian fiction can be used as a tool. Additionally, the thesis proposes how these two dystopian texts depict the violation of the three democratic principles and values: freedom of speech, privacy, and the right to equality. Based on a study conducted at lower- and upper-secondary schools and a tentative teaching plan, this thesis will present how to implement education on democracy and democratic awareness when working with literature. It also suggests the benefits of working interdisciplinary between the subjects of English and Social Science, in addition to the didactic importance of choosing age- and level-appropriate text. Finally, this thesis seeks to prove why it is essential for pupils to be educated on democracy, to not take democracy for granted, and to pass its values and principles onwards.