Dystopia in Contemporary British Fiction

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue X, October 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705

Dystopia in Contemporary British Fiction

Bello Usman¹, Barde Musa Bate^2
1Senior Lecturer, Department of General Studies, The Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu, Nigeria
²Lecturer I, Department of General Studies, The Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu, Nigeria

Abstract:- An attempt will be made in this essay to look at the effects of major changes in the environment on human – nature relationships. The essay would also highlight how human beings respond to an abnormal situation. The Carhullan Army by Sarah Hall, The Machine by James Smythe, and Watchman by Ian Rankin presented a world setting in which society was confronted with catastrophic phenomena. The change from the normal to the abnormal has not been smooth. The study is significant because the British society which these novels are portraying has undergone fundamental changes within the twentieth century right into the first decade of the twenty-first century. The Second World War saw the collapse of the British Empire and the concomitant effects of that socio-political and cultural upheaval. It is therefore an urgent matter for literary artists to draw critical attention to the effects of rapid modernisation on man and the environment. Issues such as global warming, insecurity, and techno science need to be properly confronted if our world would be protected. Although there have been studies done on these novels especially, The Carhullan Army, the approach has been Eco dystopia and Feminism. This study would use dystopian theory to underline the evolution in the different settings presented in these novels. The thesis is that a dystopic society usually evolves when the dream of a utopian setting is taken to an unmanageable level. In a constructed ideal setting the extremes of a few will tip the balance and then, dystopia and the ensuing chaos will ensue.

Key words: dystopia, flooding, global warming, IRA, technology, utopia.

1.INTRODUCTION

The Carhullan Army by Sarah Hall, The Machine by James Smythe, and Watchman by Ian Rankin are all contemporary British novels whose major concern is the British society and how this society is being affected by fundamental changes. Both Sarah Hall and James Smythe have speculated on a possible post-apocalyptic British society. They created an abnormal futuristic setting in which a major catastrophe has wreaked a monumental havoc on both the environment and human beings. What we encounter in these two novels is a dystopian world where life is a constant peril. Ian Rankin presented another form of abnormality in his novel. British society is the present but, a present in which life is quite insecure and unpredictable. He highlighted a dystopia that was created by terrorism and a corrupt, immoral and despotic administration. The IRA are waging an insurgency against the British government. The British secret services are racing to prevent the next bomb attack on innocent people. Ian Rankin however, is concerned about the internal workings of British secret services and how truly committed and patriotic they are in protecting the society. In all the novels however, there is a veritable link in the fact that they are all presenting societies that are far from normal. The novels are specifically, speculating on a Britain in which stability and order has been compromised either as a result of heightened insecurity, or a major environmental catastrophe such as flooding, caused by global warming. Another critical issue that permeates all the novels is the virtual absence of efficient government structures which would normally, restore order in the seeming chaos. All the issues raised in the novels are ingredients of a setting that is dystopic. The intention of the essay is to critically look at ways societies and people tend to be affected when certain fundamental activities by man is taken to extreme levels. The relationship between man and nature is always at the core of literary narratives that tend to speculate about a future scenario in our world. Catastrophes such as flooding and a change in weather conditions such as we encountered in Hall’s and Smythe’s narratives are a result of the imbalance created in the human-nature relationship. Another critical aspect in these types of narrative is the role that technology plays in the daily life of characters. In The Machine for instance, Victor McAdams ‘Vic’ was emptied of all memories especially, those that his doctor felt would affect him. But inevitably, the whole process rendered him completely empty. He became a shell virtually, emptied of his core essence. He became a vegetable. Meanwhile, his memories have been downloaded into the Machine. In this context, technology has attempted to create a new post human entity from the original one (which was Victor McAdams) that was destroyed in a war. Technology thus, became an instrument used by man to change the natural order of nature. This usually, comes at a heavy price to both man and the environment.

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