Divulging Biopower Through Dystopian Novels

In a world where survival is dictated by those in power, control extends beyond politics to the very essence of life itself. This study analyses The Maze Runner and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes through the lens of biopower, a concept introduced by Michel Foucault to describe how modern societ...

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Main Authors: Esme Robina R., Keerthana M.
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani) 2025-07-01
Series:Ars & Humanitas
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uni-lj.si/arshumanitas/article/view/22022
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author Esme Robina R.
Keerthana M.
author_facet Esme Robina R.
Keerthana M.
author_sort Esme Robina R.
collection DOAJ
description In a world where survival is dictated by those in power, control extends beyond politics to the very essence of life itself. This study analyses The Maze Runner and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes through the lens of biopower, a concept introduced by Michel Foucault to describe how modern societies exercise control over populations through the regulation of life, health, and bodies. Both novels depict dystopian worlds where authority figures manipulate and control individuals, reflecting the broader dynamics of biopower. Concepts in relation to biopower – like the control of power through life and death games and the control of the body and mind – will be analysed. The study adopts a Foucauldian analytical methodology and critical discourse analysis, focusing on how power dynamics in these novels reflect Foucault’s concepts of biopower and biopolitics. Through close textual analysis and critical interpretation, the study explores how these dystopian narratives utilize power structures that regulate the bodies and lives of characters, drawing connections to contemporary societal issues like surveillance and government control.
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issn 1854-9632
2350-4218
language deu
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)
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spelling doaj-art-d73df760852944cdacd500b24a5141302025-08-20T02:51:59ZdeuUniversity of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)Ars & Humanitas1854-96322350-42182025-07-0119110.4312/ars.19.1.239-255Divulging Biopower Through Dystopian NovelsEsme Robina R.0Keerthana M.1Francis Xavier Engineering College, Tirunelveli, IndiaFrancis Xavier Engineering College, Tirunelveli, India In a world where survival is dictated by those in power, control extends beyond politics to the very essence of life itself. This study analyses The Maze Runner and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes through the lens of biopower, a concept introduced by Michel Foucault to describe how modern societies exercise control over populations through the regulation of life, health, and bodies. Both novels depict dystopian worlds where authority figures manipulate and control individuals, reflecting the broader dynamics of biopower. Concepts in relation to biopower – like the control of power through life and death games and the control of the body and mind – will be analysed. The study adopts a Foucauldian analytical methodology and critical discourse analysis, focusing on how power dynamics in these novels reflect Foucault’s concepts of biopower and biopolitics. Through close textual analysis and critical interpretation, the study explores how these dystopian narratives utilize power structures that regulate the bodies and lives of characters, drawing connections to contemporary societal issues like surveillance and government control. https://journals.uni-lj.si/arshumanitas/article/view/22022biopowerbiopoliticssurveillancemanipulationdisguisepower
spellingShingle Esme Robina R.
Keerthana M.
Divulging Biopower Through Dystopian Novels
Ars & Humanitas
biopower
biopolitics
surveillance
manipulation
disguise
power
title Divulging Biopower Through Dystopian Novels
title_full Divulging Biopower Through Dystopian Novels
title_fullStr Divulging Biopower Through Dystopian Novels
title_full_unstemmed Divulging Biopower Through Dystopian Novels
title_short Divulging Biopower Through Dystopian Novels
title_sort divulging biopower through dystopian novels
topic biopower
biopolitics
surveillance
manipulation
disguise
power
url https://journals.uni-lj.si/arshumanitas/article/view/22022
work_keys_str_mv AT esmerobinar divulgingbiopowerthroughdystopiannovels
AT keerthanam divulgingbiopowerthroughdystopiannovels