The Lives of Women in a Dystopian Society

A look at ‘Julia’, by Sandra Newman

I think it’s fair to say that women usually draw the short end of the straw in fictional dystopian societies. The most obvious example is the iconic The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, but feminist dystopian literature abounds. Some of the best examples are laid out in an article by The Curious Reader: 10 Feminist Dystopian Novels That Are Not ‘The Handmaids Tale’.

But, it’s important to remember that dystopian societies aren’t limited to fiction. Countries ravaged by war where women are routinely subjected to sexual violence can be considered dystopian. And then there’s North Korea, which is clearly a dystopian, totalitarian society. Human Rights Watch came out with a report in 2023 on Discrimination and Violence against Women and Girls in the country, and it’s a bleak picture.

Perhaps the most famous novel about totalitarian societies is 1984 by George Orwell. I recently reread it. I think it’s been kind of lonely sitting on the bookshelves without being opened for a couple of decades, and we can’t have that. I’m an avid re-reader, which, to me, is the point of owning lots and lots of books.

While the book is a blatant warning against totalitarianism, I wanted to see if any parts of it are a mirror to any current events. Spoiler…