Material Information
- Title:
- CONFLICT, DIFFERENCE, AND ABJECTION IN POST-9/11 FICTION AND TELEVISION EXAMINING TERRORISTS
- Physical Description:
- Book
- Language:
- English
- Creator:
- Nugent, Denneillia
- Publisher:
- New College of Florida
- Place of Publication:
- Sarasota, Fla.
- Publication Date:
- 2014
Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree:
- Bachelor's ( B.A.)
- Degree Grantor:
- New College of Florida
- Degree Divisions:
- Humanities
- Area of Concentration:
- English
Subjects
- Genre:
- bibliography ( marcgt )
theses ( marcgt )
government publication (state, provincial, territorial, dependent) ( marcgt )
born-digital ( sobekcm )
Electronic Thesis or Dissertation
Notes
- Abstract:
- This thesis applies Julia Kristeva's theory of abjection to historical and
fictional terrorists in post-9/11 American literature and television. The abject,
according to her, is the horror one feels when confronted by anything that
threatens the boundaries between self and other. The thesis explores the
environmental and psychological conflicts and “othering” these individuals face
before turning to terrorism, as well as why terrorism simultaneously fascinates
and repulses the general public. The first chapter examines the psychology of
Mohamed Atta in Jarett Kobek’s novel ATTA (2011), Don DeLillo’s novel
Falling Man (2007), and Martin Amis’s short story “The Last Days of
Muhammad Atta” (2006). For the novels, I argue that Atta, who came of age
during Egypt’s modernization period, becomes radicalized in Germany in order to
destroy the Westernized Other within himself that he loathes; for the short story, I
explore how Amis, the narrator, tears down a barrier between himself and his
subject by advocating the theory that boredom engenders terrorism. This notion of the “fragile” self links with the second chapter, which shifts the focus to Patricia
Hearst in Susan Choi’s American Woman (2004) and Christopher Sorrentino’s
Trance (2005). The chapter expounds on the abjection of brainwashing, and how
outside influences can corrupt one’s selfhood and autonomy. In Trance, for
instance, Tania declares herself a guerilla fighter to the SLA members, but her
internal dialogue reveals that she grapples with who she truly is. Finally, the third
chapter discusses Arabs and Muslims as the abject in the Showtime television
series Sleeper Cell (2005-2006) and Homeland (2011-present). Both shows
attempt to dismantle stereotypes by portraying non-Arab terrorists, but they still
depict Muslim Arabs as the initial contaminant in the American world. The two
series also showcase Arab and/or Muslim counter-terrorists, but I argue that the
continued association in the media remains problematic. To conclude, I find that
the historical and fictional terrorists in all of the works I discuss seek to destroy
not only others but themselves. Their sense of self is tenuous, and by participating
in an act bigger than them, they can take back control of their lives.
- Statement of Responsibility:
- by Denneillia Nugent
- Thesis:
- Thesis (B.A.) -- New College of Florida, 2014
- General Note:
- RESTRICTED TO NCF STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY, AND ON-CAMPUS USE
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references.
- General Note:
- This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida Libraries, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.
- General Note:
- Faculty Sponsor: Dimino, Andrea
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- New College of Florida
- Holding Location:
- New College of Florida
- Rights Management:
- Applicable rights reserved.
- Resource Identifier:
- Classification:
- S.T. 2014 N8
- System ID:
- AA00024783:00001
|
