Cyborgian Virtual: Hybrid Subjectivity in William Gibson’s The Peripheral

The purpose of the research is to analyze how the cyborgian theories of virtual subjectivity, dromology, enfleshed materialism, aesthetics of disappearance, hybridity and metamorphic becoming are employed by modern technology to create humanoid. Gibson’s The Peripheral delineates multiple subjectivi...

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Main Authors: Najaf Ali Babazadeh, Razieh Eslamieh, Ayoub Dabiri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Kurdistan 2023-10-01
Series:Critical Literary Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cls.uok.ac.ir/article_62860.html
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author Najaf Ali Babazadeh
Razieh Eslamieh
Ayoub Dabiri
author_facet Najaf Ali Babazadeh
Razieh Eslamieh
Ayoub Dabiri
author_sort Najaf Ali Babazadeh
collection DOAJ
description The purpose of the research is to analyze how the cyborgian theories of virtual subjectivity, dromology, enfleshed materialism, aesthetics of disappearance, hybridity and metamorphic becoming are employed by modern technology to create humanoid. Gibson’s The Peripheral delineates multiple subjectivities as well as challenges of virtual creatures through tracing the life of Flynne, the major protagonist. We are to grasp humanoid’s beyond human ‘nature’, or ‘character’, or ‘being’, or ‘transitive identity’ in a way that corresponds with other human beings. The research portrays the subjective sense of being-in-the-virtual-world and analyzes the humanoid’s development in the form of a cyborgian human simulation. Donna Haraway, Paul Virilio and Rosi Braidotti are the selected theorists introducing the theory of the research; cyborg; an umbrella term referring to cybernetic organisms. Cyborgian literary theory focuses on the author who identifies the fictional subject as a new creature, which is partly inorganic and partly machine, to demonstrate that technology does not need to be dehumanizing; rather, it acts as a re-humanizing force to claim agency over our subjectivity. The peculiar thematic characteristics of the novel as an epitome of cyborg narrative, including non-linear apocalyptic time traveling narrative, fragmentation of subjectivity, formation of transhumans and constructed humanoids, are analyzed.
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issn 2676-699X
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publishDate 2023-10-01
publisher University of Kurdistan
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series Critical Literary Studies
spelling doaj-art-2602cf758fee48aa85f2cf5ae864be752025-08-20T02:52:17ZengUniversity of KurdistanCritical Literary Studies2676-699X2716-99282023-10-016110111910.22034/CLS.2023.62860Cyborgian Virtual: Hybrid Subjectivity in William Gibson’s The PeripheralNajaf Ali Babazadeh0Razieh Eslamieh1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8676-1155Ayoub Dabiri2PhD Candidate in English Literature, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.Assistant Professor, Department of English, Parand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.Assistant Professor, Department of English Education, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran.The purpose of the research is to analyze how the cyborgian theories of virtual subjectivity, dromology, enfleshed materialism, aesthetics of disappearance, hybridity and metamorphic becoming are employed by modern technology to create humanoid. Gibson’s The Peripheral delineates multiple subjectivities as well as challenges of virtual creatures through tracing the life of Flynne, the major protagonist. We are to grasp humanoid’s beyond human ‘nature’, or ‘character’, or ‘being’, or ‘transitive identity’ in a way that corresponds with other human beings. The research portrays the subjective sense of being-in-the-virtual-world and analyzes the humanoid’s development in the form of a cyborgian human simulation. Donna Haraway, Paul Virilio and Rosi Braidotti are the selected theorists introducing the theory of the research; cyborg; an umbrella term referring to cybernetic organisms. Cyborgian literary theory focuses on the author who identifies the fictional subject as a new creature, which is partly inorganic and partly machine, to demonstrate that technology does not need to be dehumanizing; rather, it acts as a re-humanizing force to claim agency over our subjectivity. The peculiar thematic characteristics of the novel as an epitome of cyborg narrative, including non-linear apocalyptic time traveling narrative, fragmentation of subjectivity, formation of transhumans and constructed humanoids, are analyzed.https://cls.uok.ac.ir/article_62860.htmlaesthetics of disappearancebecomingcyborg hybridityenfleshed materialismmetamorphosevirtual subjectivity
spellingShingle Najaf Ali Babazadeh
Razieh Eslamieh
Ayoub Dabiri
Cyborgian Virtual: Hybrid Subjectivity in William Gibson’s The Peripheral
Critical Literary Studies
aesthetics of disappearance
becoming
cyborg hybridity
enfleshed materialism
metamorphose
virtual subjectivity
title Cyborgian Virtual: Hybrid Subjectivity in William Gibson’s The Peripheral
title_full Cyborgian Virtual: Hybrid Subjectivity in William Gibson’s The Peripheral
title_fullStr Cyborgian Virtual: Hybrid Subjectivity in William Gibson’s The Peripheral
title_full_unstemmed Cyborgian Virtual: Hybrid Subjectivity in William Gibson’s The Peripheral
title_short Cyborgian Virtual: Hybrid Subjectivity in William Gibson’s The Peripheral
title_sort cyborgian virtual hybrid subjectivity in william gibson s the peripheral
topic aesthetics of disappearance
becoming
cyborg hybridity
enfleshed materialism
metamorphose
virtual subjectivity
url https://cls.uok.ac.ir/article_62860.html
work_keys_str_mv AT najafalibabazadeh cyborgianvirtualhybridsubjectivityinwilliamgibsonstheperipheral
AT razieheslamieh cyborgianvirtualhybridsubjectivityinwilliamgibsonstheperipheral
AT ayoubdabiri cyborgianvirtualhybridsubjectivityinwilliamgibsonstheperipheral