The purpose of this paper is to show that both George Orwell and Wasiny Al Araj use some dystopian features in their novels: 1984 and 2084: A Tale of the Last Arab respectively. The significance of this study is to point out the similarities and differences between Orwell's 1984 and Al Araj's 2084: A Tale of the Last Arab regarding the dystopian features. Examples lie in the totalitarian government, constant surveillance, punishment for thinking, dehumanization, repression of individuality, elimination of human connectedness and the prevalence of political dissent, total technological control, and using a new language controlled by the government. This paper also researches into the definition of dystopia and its main features, with a special reference to the aforementioned novels.
To understand the essence of the word dystopia, firstly, there must be an explanation of the opposite term utopia. According to an etymological viewpoint, the word “utopia" dates back to the two Greek stems, which mean the perfect place and nowhere. Therefore, utopia is defined as an optimal imaginary place, in which there is no existence for anyone (Szacki 71). Cambridge Dictionary defines utopia as the notion of existence for a ‘perfect society in which everyone works well with each other and is happy. If one approaches utopia with different aspirations against happiness, needs, values, or tastes, it may be transformed into anti-utopia'. A dystopia, anti-utopia, is the opposite of utopia. Normally, the plot is set in the future; that is, the main