I’M SO BORED WITH THE U.S. – AND BEYOND: THEORIZING THE EMERGENCE OF POSTMODERN SLACKERS AND GLOBAL GENERATION X CULTURE by Ariana Jade Paliobagis A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Bozeman, Montana April 2008 ©COPYRIGHT by Ariana Jade Paliobagis 2008 All Rights Reserved ii APPROVAL of a thesis submitted by Ariana Jade Paliobagis This thesis has been read by each member of the thesis committee and has been found to be satisfactory regarding content, English usage, format, citation, bibliographic style, and consistency, and is ready for submission to the Division of Graduate Education. Dr. Robert Bennett Approved for the Department of English Dr. Linda Karell Approved for the Division of Graduate Education Dr. Carl A. Fox iii STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree at Montana State University, I agree that the Library shall make it available to borrowers under rules of the Library. If I have indicated my intention to copyright this thesis by including a copyright notice page, copying is allowable only for scholarly purposes, consistent with “fair use” as prescribed in the U.S. Copyright Law. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this thesis in whole or in parts may be granted only by the copyright holder. Ariana Jade Paliobagis April 2008 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The English Department faculty has been tremendously supportive of my scholarly endeavors from the time I was an undergraduate. Their faith in my work has kept me going through many doubts and challenges, while, simultaneously, they pushed me to think, write, and speak more deeply, more critically and with more confidence and clarity than I thought I possessed. Specifically, Dr. Robert Bennett’s expertise, guidance, and criticism have truly made this project what it is. His unfailing dedication to and enthusiasm for my work have been invaluable. My graduate student colleagues never laughed when I told them about my thesis; instead, they asked great questions and made insightful comments. Many thanks to The Country Bookshelf who kept me in books. The love, support, and incredible life of Dylan Etchingham (1976-2005) made me view and appreciate the world in new ways. I hope this comes through, and I would like to think he would be proud. My great friend and sounding board, Chris Basile, has patiently listened and questioned, carefully critiqued and encouraged my work on this project from the beginning. He tolerated the many times when I was too busy for company, but he also knew when to insist that I take breaks and enjoy life. He introduced me to many texts, films, and ideas which might otherwise have escaped my attention. The value of his love and support cannot be underestimated. Finally, I must acknowledge the patience and forgiveness of my son who has put up with my many late nights spent reading and scribbling, asking not to be interrupted. I think he would like it if I spent a little more time slacking. v TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION: JUST SAY “NO” ...........................................................................1 2. CHAPTER ONE: GUIDE TO IDENTIFYING THE SLACKER IN HIS NATURAL HABITAT .....................................................................................................................8 Who Are These Slackers? ...............................................................................................8 Postmodernity ...............................................................................................................11 Picaresque Satires .........................................................................................................17 A History Lesson – Slacker-Style .................................................................................21 Erasing Time and Space ................................................................................................27 Sweet Boredom .............................................................................................................29 Work Is for the Birds ....................................................................................................33 Best Friends for Never ..................................................................................................38 Identity Pains ................................................................................................................40 Leading into the Rest ....................................................................................................42 3. CHAPTER TWO: HOME IS AN ATTITUDE – PLACE FROM FORSTER TO MURAKAMI ..............................................................................................................45 Shift and Accelerate ......................................................................................................45 Uprooted .......................................................................................................................47 Let’s Do the Time Warp Again ....................................................................................51 Now Denial ...................................................................................................................54 All the Lonely People – Where Do They All Come From? .........................................57 All the Lonely People – Where Do They All Belong? .................................................59 Kill Your Nostalgia .......................................................................................................61 Furniture and Mirrors ....................................................................................................69 4. CHAPTER THREE: TRADITION IS IMMATERIAL – TIME FROM WOOLF TO CHATTERJEE ............................................................................................................70 Tradition and Hierarchy ................................................................................................70 Pop Go the Poets ...........................................................................................................76 He Says, She Says – Tradition Says, Slackers Say .......................................................79 A Rose by Any Other Name .........................................................................................83 5. CONCLUSION: YOU MEAN THERE’S MORE? ....................................................88 WORKS CITED ................................................................................................................95 vi ABSTRACT The generation which came of age in the late 1970s through the 1980s has often been described as a cohort of slackers, lazy layabouts who shamelessly rejected the previous generation’s passionate attempts at revolution. I argue instead, however, that Generation X, as Canadian writer Douglas Coupland termed it, is responsible for a revolution of its own, but its lack of resemblance to any previous social upheavals has caused it to be misunderstood by many. The failure of the youthful rebellions of the sixties and the shallow response to this of the eighties – selfish materialism – prompted this new generation to abandon both group movements and self-advancement; rather, many members of Generation X found that rejection of received ideas and identities – particularly those based in and created through traditional appreciations of and relations to time and place – allowed them to create identities and modes of living which are meaningful and viable in a global postmodern world, attitudes that take advantage of the fragmentation of identity experienced in the postmodern era rather than fighting the general lack of connection brought about by the cultural and economic realities of the period. Through passivity, inaction, acceptance of mediocrity and boredom, the preference for the individual over the community, and their ability to deftly negotiate the rapid increase in world consumer capitalist economies and global information and communication technologies, postmodern slackers have disassociated themselves from systems of any sort: religious, economic, political, familial, or cultural. As a result, these young men abandon the accepted de rigueur “accomplishments” of adulthood such as marriage, family, home, and career, instead opting to create identities, homes, families and careers out of a hodgepodge of cultural detritus, including both high and popular culture. They accept this fragmentation of identity as a matter of course rather than allow it to produce significant anxiety, as in previous generations, and as a result, are acutely prepared to thrive in the global postmodern era even as they redefine the meaning of success. vii EPIGRAPH “I prefer not to,” he replied in a flute-like tone. It seemed to me that while I had been addressing him, he carefully revolved every statement that I made; fully comprehended the meaning; could not gainsay the irresistible conclusion; but, at the same time, some paramount consideration prevailed with him to reply as he did. – Melville But the world isn’t a wonderful place full of exciting opportunities. It’s generally dull and fucked everywhere. – Chatterjee No matter how boring or mediocre it might be, this was my world. –Murakami Somehow, of late I had got into the way of involuntarily using this world “prefer” upon all sorts of not exactly suitable occasions. And I trembled to think that my contact