Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: The article is devoted to studying the features of the posthuman future and the nature of its portrayal, which manifest themselves at the level of the specific interpretation of the utopian model of world order in Michel Houellebecq's novel "The Possibility of an Island."The emergence of new variations of dystopia in 20th-century French literature is considered, among which the "anthropological" dystopia has rightfully taken its place, introducing a new type of hero, the posthuman, as presented by Michel Houellebecq in contemporary literature.The review of scholars' ideas on the nature of dystopia and its main forms has been analyzed.The novel "The Possibility of an Island" by M. Houellebecq has been examined as an example of the utopia genre, characterized by the features of both utopia and dystopia.The influence of philosophical and literary traditions on the formation of the analyzed work is traced.It is argued that M. Houellebecq achieves the stated goal through the use of the principle of diachrony, a multi-layered plot, and a distinct poly-genre approach.All of this allows us to speak about the notable genre renewal of the discussed work, which has a truly shocking impact on readers.It is emphasized that the style of the analyzed dystopia is characterized by: the influence of the science fiction genre (the use of scientific terms, setting the action in the future, etc.); the use of grotesque; the poetics of the absurd; antiaestheticism (deformities, anomalies); genre features of diary entries; the intersection of artistic imagery and elements of sociological research.It is concluded that Houellebecq's dystopian novel fits into the context of prognostic literature of the 20th and 21st centuries, and dystopia does not simply describe the posthuman world but engages in a controversy with utopian ideas of societal construction.The main goal of dystopia is not to intimidate the reader or deprive humanity of faith in a better future, but to warn against possible negative consequences for which we ourselves are the cause.
Author: Olena HORLOVA
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4386869801