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Is the use of humor, and comedic comments that are meant to ridicule or criticize issues and/or politics

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The author  is a witness acts as a chronicler of devastation and destruction their society encountered.

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You have now read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic. Both of these texts depict the personal story of a young girl suffering through extreme conditions due to war and genocide. Each text employs a diary format to provide the reader with accounts and testaments to the times in which the author lived. In effect, the author is a witness and acts as a chronicler of the devastation and destruction their society encountered. Frank and Filipovic are writers who endured extreme conditions and through their works of literature have become "living monuments" of the times they experienced. In such circumstances we can regard such literary works as an act of witness. The poet Carolyne Forche discusses literary witness in depth in this lecture linked here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZP7AjBLn6w&feature=share&list=PL016B594BF236D93C

In what ways do Frank and Filipovic reveal that they feel a sense of responsibility to others to make a record of what they've experience and a sense of obligation to make their accounts available for future generations?

Please post your reply to this question as a comment below.

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You have now read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic. Both of these texts depict the personal story of a young girl suffering through extreme conditions due to war and genocide.

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Definition:                              A genre of literature to explore social and political structures in a dark nightmare like world.

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Definition:                              A genre of literature to explore social and political structures in a dark nightmare like world.

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Ex.  The Handmaid's Tale

Dystopian Literature : A society characterized by poverty, squalor or oppression and the theme is most commonly used in science fiction and speculative fiction genres.

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The author depicts the personal story or life of who they are writing about. Whether in a diary format or birds-eye view of the story.  The author can depict words or pieces from personal recordings of the "character" they are telling the story of. To grasp the weight and importance or what is being written about.

This can include first-person narration.

http://books.openedition.org/pur/30516?lang=en

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Atwood draws attention to social issues and sensitive topics. She satirizes our society.

Ex. Sex is satirized in “The Handmaids Tale”

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Atwood defines speculative fiction as stories that are set on Earth and employs elements that already exist in some form.
https://www.wired.com/2013/09/geeks-guide-margaret-atwood/

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The aim of satire is to be entertaining as well as critical

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The protagonist writes their story, and then hides in in hope of a future reader.
"This is an act of hope" -Atwood
https://qz.com/930626/margaret-atwood-explains-why-the-handmaids-tale-is-so-compelling/

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The Hunger Games, 1984, Oryx and Crake, Brave New World, Fahrenheight 451

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Propaganda is used to control the citizens of the society.

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Propaganda is used to control the citizens of the society.

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Citizens have a fear of the outside world.

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Often feels trapped and is struggling to escape.

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The common perception of the role of female characters in speculative fiction works has long been dominated by one of two stereotypes: a woman who is evil (villainess) or one who is helpless (damsel in distress). The Handmaid's Tale portrays its women as weak and powerless, following the stereotype of helplessness.

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Gender in speculative fiction - Wikipedia

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Many writers have chosen to write with little or no questioning of gender roles, instead effectively reflecting their own cultural gender roles onto their fictional world. However, many other writers have chosen to use science fiction and non-realistic formats in order to explore cultural conventions, particularly gender roles.

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Anne Frank writes a diary and leaves it behind in hopes of a future reader soshe  can bring awareness the the social issue that was occurring.

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In the Handmaids Tale Atwood draws attention to unpleasing, brutal and disturbing events in the past and present day.

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Shows foolishness or irony, (typically witht the use of sarcasm, or ridiculing) to prevent political or social change, or to enforce political / social change.

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Help audience recognize negative aspects of the dystopian world. Questions existing social and political systems.

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“Every recorded story implies a future reader Robinson Crusoe keeps a journal. So did Samuel Pepys, in which he chronicled the Great Fire of London. So did many who lived during the Black Death, although their accounts often stop abruptly. So did Roméo Daillaire, who chronicled both the Rwandan genocide and the world’s indifference to it. So did Anne Frank, hidden in her secret annex.” - Margaret Atwood

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1984, Brave New World, The Water Knife, The Parable of the Sower (not the religious parable)

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Ex. Political comedy sketch in newspapers

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Ex. Political comedy sketch in newspapers

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Attempts to make the reader rethink his or her own world based on the experiences described in the novel.

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"But there's a literary form I haven't mentioned yet: the literature of witness. Offred records her story as best she can; then she hides it, trusting that it may be discovered later, by someone who is free to understand it and share it. This is an act of hope: every recorded story implies a future reader. Robinson Crusoe keeps a journal. So did Samuel Pepys, in which he chronicled the Great Fire of London. So did many who lived during the Black Death, although their accounts often stop abruptly. So did Romeo Dallaire, who chronicled both the Rwandan genocide and the world's indifference to it. So did Anne Frank, hidden in her secret annex.

There are two reading audiences for Offred's account: the one at the end of the book, at an academic conference in the future, who are free to read but not always as empathetic as one might wish; and the individual reader of the book at any given time. That is the "real" reader, the Dear Reader for whom every writer writes. And many Dear Readers will become writers in their turn. That is how we writers all started: by reading. We heard the voice of a book speaking to us.

In the wake of the recent American election, fears and anxieties proliferate. Basic civil liberties are seen as endangered, along with many of the rights for women won over the past decades and indeed the past centuries. In the divisive climate, in which hate for many groups seems on the rise and scorn for democratic institute is being expressed by extremists of all stripes, it is a certainty that someone, somewhere- many, I would guess- are writing down what is happening as they themselves are experiencing it. Or they will remember, and record later, if they can.

Will their messages be suppressed and hidden? Will they be found, centuries later, in an old house, behind a wall?

Let us hope it doesn't come to that. I trust it will not"

From Margaret Atwood's 2017 forward of The Handmaid's Tale

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"But there's a literary form I haven't mentioned yet: the literature of witness. Offred records her story as best she can; then she hides it, trusting that it may be discovered later, by someone who is free to understand it and share it. This is an act of hope: every recorded story implies a future...

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Chaotic world of state or corporate control and of de-humanized construct.

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In relation to the United States' current political situation, "...it is a certainty that someone, somewhere- many, I would guess- are writing down what is happening as they themselves are experiencing it. Or they will remember, and record later, if they can.

Will their messages be suppressed and hidden? Will they be found, centuries later, in an old house, behind a wall?

Let us hope it doesn’t come to that. I trust it will not.”

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Atwood says science fiction is “filled with martians and space travel to other planets and things like that.”

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Maze Runner, Hunger games , The Giver, and Divergent

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Usually told through the perspective of the person rebelling against society

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‘Handmaids Tale’ brings attention to sensitive topics such as rape and degrading women. Some schools found the book offensive and Atwood responded, “if you see a person heading towards a huge hole in the ground, is it not a friendly act to warn him?” She also argued that the bible has more talk of sex than her book

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"All dystopias are telling you is to make sure you've got a lot of canned goods and a gun"  -
Atwood.