Order And Oppression: The Dark Logic Behind Dystopian Jurisprudence
- IJLLR Journal
- Jul 9
- 2 min read
Khyathi Varma Alluru, BBA LLB, School of Law, Mahindra University
ABSTRACT
When one thinks about the future, there are two types of future a person can imagine: utopia or dystopia. The idea of utopia is the positive view of the future, a vision of a clean space and an era of technological developments. On the other hand, the idea of dystopia is the idea of a future that includes war, climate catastrophes and disruption.
Dystopian fiction mirrors many concerns regarding law and the legal frameworks by portraying systems characterised by injustice and suffering. The showcase of such manipulated legal systems critiques existing social and political structures, spotlighting the restrictions of the freedoms imposed by the authority. These dystopian narratives often emphasise the repercussions of theocratic rule, the manipulation of law for oppression and the journey of an individual’s resistance against the misuse of power.
This research paper aims to look into the dystopian reality depicted in various literary pieces, such as The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Maze Runner by James Dashner and more, wherein various types of theocratic rules are enforced to strip women of gender laws under divine authority, the law is fluid and manipulated and how the law is used as a spectacle, institutionalising oppression through forced entertainment and economic disparity.
Beyond the literary analysis, this paper also seeks to draw attention to the contrast between such fictional governance and real governance and draw connections between the legal structures of the dystopian narratives and the various legal systems of the real world in the past and present. By analysing various types of historical examples and theocratic rules, to contemporary concerns regarding the arbitrary laws that exist, this research underscores and emphasises how dystopian jurisprudence serves as a reflection and a warning against the misuse of law in the real world.
Keywords: Dystopian fiction, Legal systems, Fictional and Real governance, Jurisprudence, Misuse of law
