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A Sense of Unending: Apocalypse and Post-Apocalypse in Novels of Late Capitalism" (2019)

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A Sense of Unending: Apocalypse and Post-Apocalypse in Novels of Late Capitalism University of Arkansas, Fayetteville ScholarWorks@UARK Theses and Dissertations 8-2019 A Sense of Unending: Apocalypse and Post- Apocalypse in Novels of Late Capitalism Brent Linsley University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd Part of the American Literature Commons, Literature in English, North America Commons, and the Modern Literature Commons Recommended Citation Linsley, Brent, "A Sense of Unending: Apocalypse and Post-Apocalypse in Novels of Late Capitalism" (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 3341. https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/3341 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Sense of Unending: Apocalypse and Post-Apocalypse in Novels of Late Capitalism A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English by Brent Linsley Henderson State University Bachelor of Arts in English, 2000 Henderson State University Master of Liberal Arts in English, 2005 August 2019 University of Arkansas This dissertation is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council. _____________________________________ M. Keith Booker, Ph.D. Dissertation Director _____________________________________ ______________________________________ Robert Cochran, Ph.D. Susan Marren, Ph.D. Committee Member Committee Member Abstract From Frank Kermode to Norman Cohn to John Hall, scholars agree that apocalypse historically has represented times of radical change to social and political systems as older orders are wiped away and replaced by a realignment of respective norms. This paradigm is predicated upon an understanding of apocalypse that emphasizes the rebuilding of communities after catastrophe has occurred. However, in the last half-century, narratives that emphasize the destruction of human civilization without this restorative component have begun to overshadow the more historically popular post-apocalyptic models that were particularly abundant during the early days of the Cold War. In light of the sentiment discussed by both Fredric Jameson and Slavoj Zizek that it is now easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism, this project examines the effects of late capitalism on our conceptions of catastrophe, specifically the erosion of public welfare in the wake of corporate deregulation that seeks to maximize private profit. These literatures also interrogate the utopian political messaging coded within the failed promises of capitalism’s advancement. As such, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic texts function in a mode of the ani-anti- utopian genre that Jameson calls for, as they reveal the political strategies of division that impede progress toward social, environmental, and economic justice. ©2019 by Brent Linsley All Rights Reserved Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Keith Booker for his time, patience, and excellent advice throughout this project. His insights, directions, and ability to package complex ideas have proven indispensable in this project. I would also like to thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Susan Marren and Dr. Robert Cochran, for their support throughout this dissertation project. The patience and perspectives of everyone on my committee have led to fruitful avenues of discourse and have revealed areas of personal and professional growth that will prove vital in my future endeavors. I would also like to thank Dr. Lisa Hinrichsen and Dr. Leigh Pryor Sparks for their administrative assistance and encouragement. The support from the graduate program office has often gone above and beyond, and the commitment to the graduate student body illustrated to me throughout these years is greatly appreciated. Additionally, the staff of the Program in Rhetoric and Composition, Dr. Elias Dominguez Barajas, Dr. Grant Bain, and LewEllyn Hallett, have offered incredible support during my time at the University of Arkansas. I would like to thank them for their continued faith in my abilities as a teacher and a scholar. Finally, the friends and family members who have stood with me through this program deserve immense credit for keeping me sane and focused. Ann Denton has been a bedrock of support. Addie Bressler’s wit provided much-needed levity at several points throughout this journey. My cousin Elizabeth Linsley shared the pinnacles and pitfalls with an attentive ear, and my father Richard Linsley has come through in numerous ways at key times. I would also like to thank my partner and best friend Dr. Delilah Clark for her attentive reading and constant reinforcement. Dedication To my mother, who was always there for me, until she wasn’t. I miss her every day. Table of Contents I. Introduction: Apocalypse, Post-Apocalypse, Capitalism ............................................................ 1 A. Junkspace and Apocalyptic History: The Rise of Apocalyptic Literature ........................................... 1 B. Apocalyptic Equivocation .................................................................................................................... 6 C. The Last Man Narrative ..................................................................................................................... 11 D. The Post-Apocalyptic Paradigm ........................................................................................................ 17 E. A Spatial Sense of Apocalypse ........................................................................................................... 25 II. Chapter One: Consumption and Apocalypse in the Postmodern Age ..................................... 33 A. Spatial Instability in Paul Auster's In the Country of Last Things ..................................................... 33 B. Consumption and Death in Don DeLillo's White Noise ..................................................................... 51 C. Apathy and Decay in M. T. Anderson's Feed .................................................................................... 68 D. Chapter One Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 80 III. Chapter Two: Reading Reversals in Wastelands .................................................................... 83 A. Reversals and Refrains in Cormac McCarthy's The Road ................................................................. 88 B. Whiteness and Weapons: Political Difference at the End of the World in Peter Heller's The Dog Stars ...................................................................................................................................................... 103 C. Chapter Two Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 122 IV. Chapter Three: The Double Apocalypse of Margaret Atwood’s Maddaddam Trilogy ....... 125 A. The Story and Structure of the Maddaddam Trilogy ....................................................................... 125 B. The Letter to America ...................................................................................................................... 138 C. Posthumanism in the Maddaddam Trilogy ...................................................................................... 145 D. Terrorism and Resistance ................................................................................................................. 154 E. Language, Ritual, Religion ............................................................................................................... 168 F. Chapter Three Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 180 V. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 186 A. McDonald's in Moscow ................................................................................................................... 187 B. Urbanity and Other Developments ................................................................................................... 191 C. The End of History, the Ends of Endings ......................................................................................... 195 VI. Works Cited .......................................................................................................................... 199 1 I. Introduction: Apocalypse, Post-Apocalypse, Capitalism People are being completely confused, you know, and that’s what global culture’s going to bring. Is this Brazilian or Arabic? Eventually, there will be 300 million States of America around the world. It’s just kind of this, this feeling of sameness, you know? Like when you drive through America, you’re like, ‘Okay, well, this is Massachusetts, and this is Connecticut. What’s the difference? I don’t fucking know. Gas station, McDonald, McDonald, gas station, gas station, McDonald. Pretty soon you’ll go over to Slovenia and see the same shit, too. In a mall. --Eugene Hutz, “Globalization: Preventing the Sameness of the World” A. Junkspace and Apocalyptic History: The Rise of Apocalyptic Literature The recent emergence of SpaceX and its competition with Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic in the area of space tourism calls to mind the Space Race
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