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Utopia: A Conspiracy Thriller from the Utilitarian Perspective

  • Journal of Modern English Drama
  • Abbr : JMBARD
  • 2017, 30(2), pp.303-324
  • Publisher : 한국현대영미드라마학회
  • Research Area : Humanities > English Language and Literature > English Literature > Contemporary English Drama

Cho Seong-kwan 1

1경희대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This essay examines a British conspiracy thriller Utopia (2013-2014, broadcasted by Channel 4) written by Dennis Kelly whose writing encompasses all the dramatic genres: TV drama, play, musical script, radio drama and scenario. Utopia juxtaposes realistic and unrealistic elements in scenography and characterization, which creates an eerie atmosphere that the viewer cannot expect reality. The series portrays ordinary people who are fans of a graphic novel Utopia. They have suddenly been hunted down by killers of Network, a secret organization of which utopian project is to cut the human population which soon reaches eight billion back down to 0.7 billion. In order to accomplish their objective, Network will have 90 per cent of the human population sterilized by distributing flu vaccine. Their rationale is that the Earth and human being must perish for climate change and resource depletion that, as they claimed, overpopulation have caused. The series poses an ethical dilemma that the greater pleasure can only be achieved by the lesser people against the classical utilitarian doctrine; the present population must be declined for the greater welfare of the future generation.

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