Dystopia in children's literature: An analysis of dystopian elements in the "Dünyanın Son İnsanları" series

Dystopia has been gaining increasing visibility in contemporary literature with its dark themes and critical perspective. Ecological problems, global political crises, and the impact of technological developments on social life have played a role in the spread of such narratives. In recent years, dystopian narratives have also found a place in children's literature, offering young readers an opportunity to question the world they live in and possible futures. In this thesis, two contemporary dystopian works written for children — Dünyanın Son İnsanları 1: Duvarın Ardı and Dünyanın Son İnsanları 2: Palanka — are examined through content analysis. The data obtained from the texts were analyzed based on a set of sixteen original analytical criteria, which were structured under four main categories: "The Breakdown of Social and Political Structures," "The Corruption and Alienation of the Individual," "Spatial and Technological Constructions in Dystopia," and "The Critical and Cautionary Function of Dystopian Fiction." A qualitative research design was adopted in the study. Written materials were systematically examined to reveal themes, concepts, and patterns of meaning. The themes, character structures, time, plot, and spatial design in the novels were interpreted within the framework of dystopian theory and supported with direct quotations. The findings were presented with the support of tables.