In Colson Whitehead 's genre novel, Zone One, society is trying to get back to its feet, to rebuild itself after a plague that lead to a zombie apocalypse took place. The post-apocalyptic society in Zone One is a reflection on how a post-capitalist version of the future might look like. The zombie apocalypse in the novel is the representation of what Marx considered, the impending revolution of the proletariat, rising against the bourgeoisie, bringing down with them the capitalist 's exploitative and oppressive socioeconomic system that has been installed for the larger part of the last 500 years. Whitehead’s portrayal of the zombie/uninfected social interaction and its power dynamics is a social critique of western capitalist society that …show more content…
As Mark Spitz is trying to survive and make sense of the uncanniness surrounding him, his introspective commentary on the world around him drops hints and nudges at subtle symbols that nod towards the obsolescence of the previously enforced social system. He references the bleakness of the capitalist businessman in the aftermath of these events, depicting it as a zombie wearing a dirty pinstripe suit. The businessman once representing the epitome of success in our society, now “its infection had converted this creature into a member of its bygone loser cadre, into another of the broke and the deluded, the mis-fitting, the inveterate unlucky” (Whitehead 148). Moreover, Whitehead 's writing also addresses the decay of capitalism more directly, as he describes the bleakness of the physical ruins of banks and the once blooming FiDi; “putrefying mounds on the cobblestones of the crooked streets of the financial district” (Whitehead 95). The Financial District is home to the headquarters of leading financial institutions, with Wall Street commonly described as the heart of capitalism, this particular dreary depiction of its physical appearance denotes the overall theme of …show more content…
In his Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx predicted the inevitability of the fall of the capitalist system as a result of an impending uprising of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie. In the same way, Zone One 's plague and the consequential skels, that represent the exploited working class, cause mayhem to the point where the society 's sociopolitical system is rendered meaningless and obsolete. In Özgenalp 's words, zombie plagues "consume military, government and law enforcement organizations leading to a world of hostile wilderness" (107). The skels are negating the capitalist social order, thus the plague allows the society to reach the antithesis, the second stage of the Hegelian
...es of individuals can be used to explore a broader social wrong, in this case the injustice of a totalitarian government. Both authors use their protagonists to depict how a dictatorial state can destroy all sense of individuality, Orwell by presenting Winston in his fight against “The Party” and Niccol by depicting Vincent in his battle against society. Both authors also use individuals, who must isolate themselves in order to survive to expose how an unjust authoritative government can manufacture isolation. Orwell and Niccol also present conflicting views on the possibility of individual rebellion in an oppressive society, reflected by the success of Vincent and failure of Winston. In their prophetic dystopian texts both George Orwell and Andrew Niccol use the experiences of their protagonists to explore the broad social wrong of a totalitarian government.
George Romero's reinvention of the zombie in Night of the Living Dead (1968) is clearly a critique of elements of the American society, and the film as a whole is easily twisted into a warped view on the 'American Dream'. Themes throughout Romero’s film, dealing with controversial topics during the time that the film was made, are still, to this day, debated by critics and film historians. Themes of racism and war are defined within the movie, hidden underneath the idea of carnal, cannibalistic zombies and over the top heroes who, eventually, succumb to the reanimated despite their every effort. These themes are colored over and painted to hide subtle references to the typical American Dream during this time, and Romero does quite the good job at it too. This dream, whilst continuously changing in the everyday lives of modern Americans, can be loosely defined as a national ethos of the United States, or a set of ideals dealing with freedom and the opportunity for success - an upward social status that can be achieved through hard work and effort.
In the middle of the 1930s, Adolf Hitler began his rise to power in Germany, initiating the start of the Second World War and spread fear across Western Europe. During this time period, George Orwell began writing his novella, Animal Farm, which has been said to represent the events of the communist revolution; yet according to an analysis of the new historic lens, no book, no matter the style, can escape the hindrance of social context; proving that the air surrounding the war, impacted the literature written in this time. While it may not be about World War Two, Animal Farm, like all other writings was impacted by its surroundings. An analysis of George Orwell’s Animal Farm reveals that his work, being written in the 1940s, was greatly influenced by the events surrounding World War Two, which took place across all of Europe.
Throughout history, historians have many times characterized the capitalists who constructed post-Civil War industrial America as either admirable “captains of industry” or wasted “robber barons.” Both of the preceding terms had been used equitably during America’s industrial movements in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. Nonetheless, the term that is most proper for characterizing these capitalists is “captains of industry”, because although some of them may have gained their wealth and power through ruthless means and also at the expenditure of the poorer, working class of people, they have bettered the life of the American people, more so than is compassed in other countries around the world.
...ng this simplistic definition of capitalism which means that there will be “winners” and “losers” to this relationship. The focus upon the “bottom line” leaves little to no room for the consideration of social consequences such as unemployment and poverty. The disconnection that capitalism creates enables itself to flourish thus limiting the potential to achieve socio-economic justice. Fundamentally changing the way capitalism operates requires a political shift in power dynamics. Consumers who do play a role in how the economy is structured are needed to be brought back to consciousness by demanding justice.
In a time of such economic distress, where it sometimes feels as though the world as we know it is coming to an end, it is hard not to examine and question the fundamental idea of capitalism. Many people are starting to wonder if our laissez-faire attitude towards the economy can continue to be successful or if a major change to our society is imminent. In seeking answers to these questions, it is impossible not to think of economist Karl Marx, who spent the better part of his career analyzing capitalism. Marx long ago predicted what he deemed the inevitable downfall of the capitalist society and outlined his reasoning in his infamous Manifesto of the Communist Party. According to Marx, capitalism is bound to collapse due to its inherent internal contradictions of overproduction, concentration of capital and an intelligent working class (Marx 1983:210-214). Interestingly, in looking at current events, examples of these capitalist contradictions are abundant. Looking at modern situations through a Marxist lens we are better able to understand the circumstances society finds itself in today and predict and prepare for the future.
Although George Orwell’s Animal Farm was created in order to mimic individuals as well as occurrences that took place during the Russian Revolution period, it is still possible to gain a comprehensive understanding of the text without a past knowledge of history through the exploitation of human nature’s imperfections. Following the publishment of his novel, Orwell confirmed that his goal in writing this fable was to expose the wrongdoing of the Soviet Union as well as the treachery of the true ideas of the Revolution. Nonetheless, there have been several other examples of events such as the French Revolution that can effortlessly be contrasted against components of the allegory. However, we need not to dig no deeper than to the fundamental faults in human nature to witness the catastrophic consequences that attributes such as hierarchy, propaganda and betrayal have on today’s society.
Capitalism has flourished in most of the developed countries throughout the world. Almost all developed countries have formed their economic system based on Capitalism; however, it has created some dissatisfaction among people who believe that the system is absolute and those who believe that there are flaws in the system. There is no doubt that Capitalism has helped some people flourish, but along the way, the sheer destruction it has created has affected people of all levels. It has changed the social perspective of people, and to adapt to that social aspect, they have created a mask to hide from the destruction they have caused and they have also created a different persona to satisfy themselves. In the short story Bartleby, the Scrivener, by Herman Melville argues, similar questions by portraying characters that have gone through ideal situation. First, the story takes place on Wall Street, which is the economic capital of America, where the narrator works for the rich and wealthy. “ I am one of those unambitious lawyers who never addresses a jury, or in any way draws down public applause; but in the cool tranquillity of a snug retreat, do a snug business among rich men’s bonds and mortgages and title-deeds.”(3) He also emphasizes a lot on late John Jacob Astor, who was an American Capitalist and achieved his “American Dream”. In the story, the narrator can be noted as Capitalist and Nippers, Turkey, Ginger Nut and Bartleby as workers. Through the essay Melville shows characters going through similar situations.
To understand the ways in which political systems are important to this novel, it is necessary to define both capitalism and socialism as they are relevant to The Jungle. Capitalism, and more specifically, laissez-faire capitalism, is the economic system in America. It basically means that producers and consumers have the right to accumulate and spend their money through any legal means they choose. It is the economic system most fitting with the idea of the American Dream. The American Dream portr...
Richard sennet, 2006. The culture of of the new capitalism. Yale university press. Pg 10-14
Marx is able to demonstrate the consequences that result from transforming values into productions suited for profit, as he writes, “This boundless greed after riches, this passionate chase after exchange-value is common to the capitalist and the miser; but while the miser is merely a capitalist gone mad, the capitalist is a rational miser” (Marx 63). There is no sense of abhorrence for a particular individual in Marx’s interpretation of capitalism and instead focuses on the capitalistic economic structure. However, it is through this quote that a sense of inequality starts to emerge. As a result, a hierarchy is produced, creating an enduring structure of capitalism, where those who control the circulation of money are granted unlimited power. This has become evident in recent years, as in 2008, a social power analysis by Dr. John S. Atlee and Tom Atlee was published. In “Democracy: A Social Power Analysis” Altlee describes the power of money and status as he states, “People with lots of money, muscle, status, intelligence, etc., can usually successfully influence other people. In most (but, significantly, not all) circumstances, they have more social power” (Atlee). Economic power is proven to be pivotal in attaining another individual’s attention and status of capability. Thus, the capitalist is free to develop their own sense of
Andrew Mead, “Close Inspection of a Capitalist World [book and exhibition review]”, Architects’ Journal V. 206, N. 17 (Nov 1997), 59.
The core domination of capitalism lies with the domination over the capitalist himself. The purpose of capital is to accumulate as much wealth as possible. To do so, different task have to be divided to increase production. Capitalism is driven by a circuit which consists of having money, exchanging it for a commodity, and then selling that product once again but for a greater quantity of money, or M-C-M’. Capital changes itself both into money and commodities, while at the same time differentiates itself from its original value by creating surplus value and expanding spontaneously (334). In order for a capitalist to be successful he must never stop this cycle, he must always keep growing his capital. The “final result of every separate circuit […] forms of itself the starting point of a new circuit” (333). This idea creates in the capitalist a mentality of competition, a drive to always find new ways to increase productivity and lower cost in order to increa...
In a capitalistic society, the owner exploits his workers by draining them of their self-worth. A worker gets paid only for his sustenance as the product he works on gets sold by the capitalists in the interests of creating a profit. This leads to the worker’s alienation from his surroundings and his work leading to the estrangement from the process of production. The existing social relationship is inherently antagonistic in nature and will give rise to class struggle that will eventually lead to the collapse of capitalism, and the creation of a new
It is this notion which gives the capitalists the opportunity and the means to exploit people in the society, through their wants and needs for an easy, nonchalant lifestyle. The problem arises when we start seeing these capitalists as saviors - as rescuers, and sometimes even incarnations of God - who save the people under them, from the hardened, miserable, and volatile life which they may have lead otherwise. It is at this moment where we commit our biggest mistake: put in our trust, faith and our life in the hands of these capitalists. They hardwire such people - make them feel like a prince, where in reality all they are, are peasants being manipulated and controlled to fulfill the personal objectives of these capitalists. It is in moments like these, where a person must realize, that all these comforts - these resources, these status privileges, the capitalists trust in them - are all but ‘baits’, intricately thought of and designed to ‘lure’ an individual into the trap from which - despite tremendous efforts - if caught, it is extremely difficult to escape from. It is, in moments like these, where one must develop and possess the mental