Navigating Blind the Globalized Ruin : the Ustopian Vision of Josh Malerman's Bird Box (2014)

This paper purports to read Josh Malerman’s novel Bird Box (2014) as a response to French philosopher Jean Baudrillard’s “ecstasy of communication,” or the metaphoric state of schizophrenia characteristic of postmodern societies, in which the cacophony of media messages and the proliferation of imag...

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Autor principal: González de Gatti, María Marcela
Formato: Artículo revista
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Lenguas (CIFAL), Facultad de Lenguas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Avenida Enrique Barros s/n, Ciudad Universitaria. Córdoba, Argentina. Correo electrónico: revistacylc@lenguas.unc.edu.ar 2020
Materias:
post-apocalyptic
dystopian
ustopian
schizophrenia
hyperreality
posapocalíptico
distópico
ustópico
esquizofrenia
hiperrealidad
Acceso en línea:https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/CultyLit/article/view/31862
Aporte de:
Revista de Culturas y Literaturas Comparadas de Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
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record_format ojs
spelling I10-R337-article-318622021-12-03T13:30:30Z Navigating Blind the Globalized Ruin : the Ustopian Vision of Josh Malerman's Bird Box (2014) Navegando la ruina globalizada a ciegas: la visión ustópica de Bird Box (2014) de Josh Malerman González de Gatti, María Marcela post-apocalyptic dystopian ustopian schizophrenia hyperreality posapocalíptico distópico ustópico esquizofrenia hiperrealidad This paper purports to read Josh Malerman’s novel Bird Box (2014) as a response to French philosopher Jean Baudrillard’s “ecstasy of communication,” or the metaphoric state of schizophrenia characteristic of postmodern societies, in which the cacophony of media messages and the proliferation of images permeate through human subjects as if they were transparent. The theoretical framework for this analysis is completed by the distinction between dystopia and post-apocalyptic tale established by Heather Hicks, for whom at the heart of dystopia lies “the oppressiveness of uniformity” linked to the presence of a single metanarrative (Hicks 8). By contrast, what characterizes the post-apocalyptic is the diametrically opposed socioscape “punctuated by small communities adhering to various micronarratives” (Hicks 8), in which there is no glimpse of a consensus for social exchange. The category of ustopia, a term coined by Margaret Atwood, complements and sheds light upon the concept of dystopia in a strict relationship with its counterpart utopia, in a conceptual amalgamation which is compatible with James Berger’s post-apocalyptic paradox: “a radically antihumanistic rhetoric [which] masks a radical and frustrated humanism” (9). This interpretation of the novel dissociates it from the popular genre of horror fiction and problematizes its meanings on the basis of the ambiguity of its ustopic vision. El presente trabajo propone una lectura de la novela Bird Box (2014) de Josh Malerman como una respuesta a lo que el filósofo Jean Baudrillard denominó “éxtasis de la comunicación” o el estado metafórico de esquizofrenia de la sociedad posmoderna, en la que los mensajes cacofónicos de los medios y la proliferación de imágenes dislocadas de sus referentes atraviesan el sujeto como si este fuera transparente. El marco teórico en el que se apoya la lectura se completa con la distinción entre distopía y relato posapocalíptico establecida por Heather Hicks, para quien el corazón de la distopía consiste en la “opresividad de la uniformidad” de una única metanarrativa (Hicks 8). En contraposición, lo que caracteriza a lo posapocalíptico es el diametralmente opuesto paisaje social “remachado con pequeñas comunidades que adhieren a diversas micronarrativas”, en el que no se vislumbra posibilidad alguna de consenso para el intercambio social (Hicks 8). La categoría de ustopía, acuñada por Margaret Atwood, complementa e ilumina la concepción de distopía en directa relación con su par opuesto, la utopía, en una fusión conceptual que se vincula con lo que James Berger denomina la paradoja posapocalíptica, es decir, una “retórica radicalmente antihumanista [que] enmascara un radical humanismo frustrado” (9). Esta interpretación de la novela la deslinda parcialmente del género popular de ficción de terror y problematiza sus significados a partir de la ambigüedad de su visión ustópica. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Lenguas (CIFAL), Facultad de Lenguas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Avenida Enrique Barros s/n, Ciudad Universitaria. Córdoba, Argentina. Correo electrónico: revistacylc@lenguas.unc.edu.ar 2020-12-31 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion application/pdf text/html https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/CultyLit/article/view/31862 Revista de Culturas y Literaturas Comparadas; Núm. 10 (2020): Distopía y postapocalipsis en la literatura y las artes; 54-69 2591-3883 1852-4737 spa https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/CultyLit/article/view/31862/32745 https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/CultyLit/article/view/31862/32746 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
institution Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
institution_str I-10
repository_str R-337
container_title_str Revista de Culturas y Literaturas Comparadas
language Español
format Artículo revista
topic post-apocalyptic
dystopian
ustopian
schizophrenia
hyperreality
posapocalíptico
distópico
ustópico
esquizofrenia
hiperrealidad
spellingShingle post-apocalyptic
dystopian
ustopian
schizophrenia
hyperreality
posapocalíptico
distópico
ustópico
esquizofrenia
hiperrealidad
González de Gatti, María Marcela
Navigating Blind the Globalized Ruin : the Ustopian Vision of Josh Malerman's Bird Box (2014)
topic_facet post-apocalyptic
dystopian
ustopian
schizophrenia
hyperreality
posapocalíptico
distópico
ustópico
esquizofrenia
hiperrealidad
author González de Gatti, María Marcela
author_facet González de Gatti, María Marcela
author_sort González de Gatti, María Marcela
title Navigating Blind the Globalized Ruin : the Ustopian Vision of Josh Malerman's Bird Box (2014)
title_short Navigating Blind the Globalized Ruin : the Ustopian Vision of Josh Malerman's Bird Box (2014)
title_full Navigating Blind the Globalized Ruin : the Ustopian Vision of Josh Malerman's Bird Box (2014)
title_fullStr Navigating Blind the Globalized Ruin : the Ustopian Vision of Josh Malerman's Bird Box (2014)
title_full_unstemmed Navigating Blind the Globalized Ruin : the Ustopian Vision of Josh Malerman's Bird Box (2014)
title_sort navigating blind the globalized ruin : the ustopian vision of josh malerman's bird box (2014)
description This paper purports to read Josh Malerman’s novel Bird Box (2014) as a response to French philosopher Jean Baudrillard’s “ecstasy of communication,” or the metaphoric state of schizophrenia characteristic of postmodern societies, in which the cacophony of media messages and the proliferation of images permeate through human subjects as if they were transparent. The theoretical framework for this analysis is completed by the distinction between dystopia and post-apocalyptic tale established by Heather Hicks, for whom at the heart of dystopia lies “the oppressiveness of uniformity” linked to the presence of a single metanarrative (Hicks 8). By contrast, what characterizes the post-apocalyptic is the diametrically opposed socioscape “punctuated by small communities adhering to various micronarratives” (Hicks 8), in which there is no glimpse of a consensus for social exchange. The category of ustopia, a term coined by Margaret Atwood, complements and sheds light upon the concept of dystopia in a strict relationship with its counterpart utopia, in a conceptual amalgamation which is compatible with James Berger’s post-apocalyptic paradox: “a radically antihumanistic rhetoric [which] masks a radical and frustrated humanism” (9). This interpretation of the novel dissociates it from the popular genre of horror fiction and problematizes its meanings on the basis of the ambiguity of its ustopic vision.
publisher Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Lenguas (CIFAL), Facultad de Lenguas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Avenida Enrique Barros s/n, Ciudad Universitaria. Córdoba, Argentina. Correo electrónico: revistacylc@lenguas.unc.edu.ar
publishDate 2020
url https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/CultyLit/article/view/31862
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first_indexed 2024-09-03T21:19:17Z
last_indexed 2024-09-03T21:19:17Z
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