Thesis (M.A.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Arts - Department of English

{u2018}Critical dystopia{u2019} is the term identifying most of the dystopian texts written after the year 1980, as those texts have distinctive features leading to the formation of this sub-genre (Baccolini 13). Critical dystopian writings, mostly open-ended texts, criticize the sociopolitical circumstances of their societies while maintaining hope through imagining scenarios where citizens have the power to resist their dystopian circumstances and reverse power relations. This thesis undertakes a comparative analysis of Ahmed Khaled Towfik{u2019}s Utopia (2008) and Lauren Beukes{u2019} Moxyland (2008) as critical dystopian novels that reflect contemporary socio-economic conditions in both Egypt and South Africa.In doing so, the research uses a conceptual framework informed by Antonio Gramsci{u2019}s notion of {u2018}hegemony{u2019},as well as more recent theorizations on critical dystopian fiction by theorists such as Raffaela Baccolini and Tom Moylan.The comparative analysis undertaken in this study is twofold. it identifies and investigates the main characteristics of dystopian societies as depicted in the two works, such as defamilirization, fragmentation, constant observation, and technical advancement; it examines how these characteristics impact aspects of the novels such as narration, characterization, and the use of language

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