Dystopian Literature
Lena's government has probably banned the use of the word dystopia, but until they get ahold of us, we have the definition. In short, dystopian lit is literature that paints a super scary, freaky deaky portrait of life in the future. And by doing so, it serves as a commentary on what's wrong with our contemporary, real-life cultures and governments.
So what is Oliver criticizing in Delirium? Well, a few things. For example, Lena's mom's storyline seems to be a critique of the American health care system.
But the bulk of the book focuses on the fact that people today seem to want to be safe above all else—even at the expense of their most precious freedoms. Like the freedom to love (whomever we choose).