Mid Sweden University

This essay explores, through an ecocritical lens, the dualistic themes in the novel Metro 2033, written by author Dmitrij Gluchovskij. This is done by posing the following questions:

1) Which dualistic themes can be found in Gluchovskijs portrayal of the postapocalyptic world in Metro 2033? And in which way do these dualistic themes influence the readers understanding of the setting?

2) How are these dualistic themes portrayed in the computer game adaptation of Metro 2033?

3) Which didactic pros and cons can be found in working with dystopian novels and videogames in a school environment?

The novel contains themes such as darkness vs light, ”human” vs ”non-human”, and history vs future. These dualistic themes are used to build suspension and to comment on the violent nature in humankind. The same themes can be found in the videogame adaptation, with the main difference that in the game the player can influence the narrative course of action, as well as the conclusion of the story.

Using dystopian fiction in the classroom, both in general and Metro 2033, allows for more approachability for student to explore difficult or sensitive societal topics, such as xenophobia, nuclear war, violence, etc… Using novels popularised by their video game adaptations could also encourage reading in groups who are otherwise showing little to no interest in reading.