Kamryn Schnieder
- Apr 17, 2020
- 4 min read

On Guns in Dystopia

Gun are a large, political, and often tense discussion topic in almost any circumstances. Whether discussing the benefits or harm of guns, rights, and use, guns are not an easy thing to talk about without stirring up some dirt and turning some heads. However, in Nick Foley's discussion on the use, or role, of guns in dystopias, we see an unbiased and analytical look at how guns are used in dystopian environments.

What did the blog say?

In Nick Foley's original post, titled "Guns - A Dystopian Advantage or Liability?" [1] he starts off by clearly separating real life from these fictional dystopias, which effectively eliminates any bias from his discussion. Then he talks about the "why" of guns, from a narrative standpoint saying guns are "guns make handling [violence] much more simple and effective," as well as from a world building/production standpoint, stating that gun fights are "entertaining" and "amusing" which is entirely true. Gun fights build suspense and are eye-catching, visually and written. He then proceeds to break down the use of guns in specific examples from The Hunger Games [2] and well as Ready Player One [3]. He closes the article by pointing out how gun add to dystopias with a quick ability to kill and a 'chaotic destructiveness.'

[4] "Thief Scene" from the Road, The Man holding his gun

Can we push this further?

When looking at the overall idea of Nick's post, it very much has the idea of thing power from our theory lessons as well as other overarching themes such as symbolism of guns and whether or not guns are a 'good' thing in these environments. I will be looking at The Road [5] momentarily to add another example to the one's Nick analyzed in his post. In the Road, the gun has many purposes. It is the tool, the weapon, that stands for the mans survival and willingness to protect his son. The gun gives him a sense of security that allows him to travel with his son, knowing there is always and alternative way 'out' if he needs one. Through the man's memories though, it is also revealed that the gun was original supposed to be used on the whole family, but the father chose not to, so the gun as acts as his reminder of his promise to live for his sun. In this story, the gun stands for both the tool to inflict pain as well as the source of comfort for the man.

[6] Cover Art for Dead Rising Three case

How does this connect to "the Zombies?"

In my previous blog post, I discussed how Zombies are reflective of the give and take process of dystopian environment creations. Well, zombies are numerous and dangerous, in every post-apocalypse I've seen/read (aside from maybe Warm Bodies, but that's different). Guns are essentially the "peak" of thing power in a situation where its kill or be killed. Its a comfort and a necessity. One dystopian environment I think of is a rather infamously crude game franchise called Dead Rising [7]. This game is famous for its raunchy humor and terrible adult content, but also the insanity of its weapons. Crafting the most absurd weapons from a razor-bladed wheel chair to a flamethrower duck gun, this game lets you mow down zombies however you feel at the time. The characters of this game are wild and crazy, relying on their weaponry (usually guns, but not always) to keep their reign over their respective locations. The power of guns and everything it represents in a dystopia from comfort to power is enhanced by the intense scenarios of a zombie apocalypse.

[8] Screenshot of Dead Rising 3 Cut-scene

Can other 'things' like guns hold power?

Touched on before, the analysis of guns in dystopia is like a micro-discussion of thing power. Guns can give characters (and authors) strength and motivation, as well as a hunger for power or a sense of dissociation from the guns risks. All of these reactions are an example of thing power, people in dystopian fictions will change, for better or worse, when they have a gun. This can be extended to something like a reliable food source or shelter. If someone knows they have food and shelter, reliably, they may be more willing to venture out because they have somewhere to return to, while someone lacking food and shelter may move slower and more carefully to find resources. Thing power can also come from something as superficial as beauty or physical appeal. In Parable of the Sower [9], we see how the woman of the novel suffer benefit as a result of their appeal (as well as disrespectful and disgusting people who have no idea how to control themselves, but I digress). Some accept their circumstances as use their beauty to manipulate and twist to the best result in their scenario, while others are plummeted in terrible situations as because people think they are entitled to their beauty.

So What?

As discussed in previous posts, dystopias and the extensions and critic of current society, taking its themes and premises of modern issues and ideas. So, looking at guns in dystopia, as well as Nick's analysis, we can trace that back to real life concerns. Discussions on whether or not guns are bad themselves, or if its the people behind them, gun rights, self defense, and those others things are hot topic issues and important ones, and this post is not the place to debate that. But is it important to acknowledge how society and culture's ideas of guns, especially as they are depicted in the media (looking at how Nick mentioned gun fights as "entertaining") could play into how guns are treated in dystopias.