Unveiling the truth beneath: Why are we obsessed with hidden community stories, and what do they reveal about our deepest fears and desires?
I’m just coming up for air. Feel like I’ve been below ground for ages.
I’m not alone – and some people are having it worse than me. Poor Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) has escaped one Silo and finds herself trying to survive in another.
Lucy (Ella Purnell) is another escapee coming to terms with different kinds of paradise now she’s free from her conformist but comfortable Vault in Fallout. They should meet… swap stories, each trying to convince the other that above ground or below is better.
In Severance, Mark (Adam Scott) and his co-workers are only just beginning to understand the disturbing nature of living both in and out of a buried community, scything themselves psychologically in two to make the adjustment.
They’re everywhere these days – hidden or literally buried communities of one kind or another. The post-apocalyptic Ark in The 100. The Walking Dead folk walking from one weirdly tyrannical cult to the next, each community presenting a facade of safety but at a very high price.
These narratives, where societies exist in isolation, often underground, believing the outside world is toxic or uninhabitable, are captivating audiences. But what is it about this particular trope that resonates so deeply?
The allure of the unknown (and the familiar)
The hidden community trope offers a blend of the familiar and the unknown. We recognise the human elements – the desire for safety, the struggle for power, the yearning for freedom. That’s our lived experience writ large.
But there’s a twist. Because the “safe” setting is inherently weird – a dark suburb – it prompts questions about the nature of reality.
The choice: safety v freedom
These stories often centre on a fundamental human dilemma: the choice between safety and freedom. The hidden community offers security and conformity, but at the cost of individual liberty and the pursuit of truth – and the occasional odd quirk of society. This resonates with our own internal struggles, the constant balancing act between comfort and exploration, between the known and the unknown.
The resonance mirrors the arc of our own lives. The safety of childhood becomes a suffocating blanket and we yearn to be free, clear ourselves of our parents’ ways and forge our own customs and traditions. But it’s dangerous and risky “out there”. Still, we find our own tribes, our own way of doing things, earn our own scars and spurs and then…
Well, sometimes you just want to go home for those creature comforts. And you’re struck by that bittersweet reality – you can never go back. You’re not the same person.
A secular search for paradise
And maybe there’s something more at play here, something that speaks to a deeper yearning within us. In an increasingly secular society, where the concept of heaven has faded for many, these narratives offer a substitute for paradise.
This yearning for a better world, a utopia beyond our current reality, seems to be deeply ingrained in the human psyche. Whether it’s driven by our pursuit of happiness, our capacity for empathy and cooperation, or our relentless search for meaning and purpose, this desire fuels our imagination and motivates us to strive for improvement.
“Above ground” is the other place where it will be different and better. It’s a truth almost too good to be true, so they’re right to be suspicious. But hope burns bright. In Silo a better, safer kind of tape for the airtight suits might be the difference, so everyone sets aside thoughts of rebellion and knuckles down. There’s something worth co-operating for. Think of better tape as an act of faith and worship, or some arcane ritual bringing adherents closer to the truth and to god.
5 examples of the hidden community trope in action
- Silo: This series portrays a society living in a gigantic underground silo, believing the outside world is toxic. The story explores themes of control, deception, and the human need for truth, as characters begin to question the official narrative and uncover the secrets of their confined existence.
- The 100: While not entirely underground, the Ark space station serves as a self-contained world where humanity has survived for generations, believing Earth is uninhabitable. The series explores the challenges of rebuilding society and the conflict between generations as the younger generation confronts the truth about their past and the possibility of a future on Earth.
- Brave New World: While not a literal “buried community” Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World shares thematic similarities with the trope. It depicts a seemingly utopian society where happiness is manufactured through technology, genetic engineering, and social conditioning. However, this “paradise” comes at the cost of individual freedom, authentic emotions, and genuine human connection.
- Under the Dome: Stephen King’s novel takes the concept of a confined community to a literal level, trapping the small town of Chester’s Mill under an impenetrable dome. This sudden isolation creates a pressure cooker environment where the town’s pre-existing social tensions, power struggles, and hidden secrets are amplified.
- City of Ember: This story depicts an underground city built as a refuge from disaster, now facing dwindling resources and forgotten knowledge. Two young people seek a way out, discovering the truth about their city’s origins and the possibility of a life beyond its confines. This narrative highlights the importance of hope, resilience, and the human spirit’s ability to overcome adversity.
Why writers like the hidden community trope so much
For writers, the buried community trope is a fertile playground, a concentrated microcosm of human experience ripe with possibilities. It offers a canvas to explore a multitude of conflicts and themes, all within a confined and controlled environment.
Think of it as a pressure cooker for drama, where the intensity of human interaction is amplified by the limitations of the setting. A Petri dish where all the toxic elements are forced together to thrive or die.
What else has the trope going for it?
- Instant conflict: The inherent tension between the community’s perceived safety and the unknown outside world provides a built-in source of conflict. Characters are immediately faced with questions of loyalty, freedom, and the pursuit of truth, creating a compelling narrative engine.
- Condensed world-building: The enclosed setting allows for efficient and focused world-building. Writers can create intricate societies with unique rules, customs, and belief systems, all within the confines of the hidden community. This allows for deep exploration of social dynamics and power structures without the need for extensive exposition. Ideas like Silo’s imperative to “clean” demonstrate how quirks become lore become tradition become orthodoxy become issues of loyalty and treachery.
- Heightened stakes: The isolation and vulnerability of the community create a sense of heightened stakes. Any threat, internal or external, carries a greater weight, as the characters’ survival may be at stake. This adds urgency and intensity to the narrative, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.
- Exploration of human nature: Writers can explore themes of conformity, rebellion, leadership, and the struggle for power in a microcosm of society. This allows for nuanced character development and exploration of complex moral dilemmas.
- Metaphorical Potential: The trope lends itself to allegorical storytelling, allowing writers to explore broader social and political issues through the lens of the hidden community. It can serve as a commentary on everything from government control and censorship to environmental destruction and the dangers of blind faith.
Applying the trope to your own writing
If you’re looking to incorporate the buried community trope into your own writing, consider these key elements:
- Create a unique community: Develop a distinct culture, history, and belief system for your hidden community. What are their values? What are their fears? How do they govern themselves? Make sure you have characters who sit along the spectrum of freedom and conformity, individualistic v community orientated, and make sure they clash.
- Establish the “why”: Why is the community hidden? Is it a genuine threat, a manufactured lie, or a combination of both? This will drive the central conflict and shape the characters’ motivations.
- Build tension and suspense: Use the confined setting to create a sense of claustrophobia and paranoia. Gradually reveal secrets and raise the stakes as the characters uncover the truth. And the truth can never be definitive. There is no good or bad, just a blend of the two.
- Explore the theme of choice: Focus on the central dilemma of safety versus freedom. How do your characters navigate this choice? What are the consequences of their decisions? Does the reader ask: what would I do in that situation – stay or go? Do I have the ingenuity, courage and will to make the difficult choice.
The hidden community trope is more than just a storytelling device; it’s a reflection of our deepest fears and aspirations. It speaks to our anxieties about the future, our yearning for something better, and our enduring hope for a world beyond the one we know.
In a world where traditional notions of paradise have faded, these narratives offer a secular exploration of utopia, reminding us of the human capacity for both great darkness and extraordinary resilience.