The plant eco-horror in The Body Snatchers (2020), by Jack Finney: simulacra, hyperreality, and unbridled consumption
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1984-1124.i39p410-428Keywords:
The Body Snatchers, Simulacra, Hypperreality, Consumption, Eco-horrorAbstract
Written by Jack Finney and originally published in the 1950s amidst the tensions of the Cold War, Invasion of the Body Snatchers ([1955] 2020) explores the theme of alien invasion. Over the years, the narrative has been reinterpreted in line with cultural and social changes, demonstrating its timelessness by allowing for diverse readings. In light of the growing environmental concerns that dominate contemporary debates, this study proposes a new analysis of the work through the lens of vegetal eco-horror (Keetley, 2016). The aim is to foster a discussion about rampant consumption, characterized by the liquidation of meaning (Baudrillard, 1991), the saturation of information (Morin, 1986), and the mechanics of conformity (Marcuse, 1979), which culminate in the emergence of simulations, simulacra, and hyperreality (Baudrillard, 1991). The analysis concludes that narratives like Invasion of the Body Snatchers ([1955] 2020) can be seen, through the lens of vegetal eco-horror, as reflections of our critical disconnection from nature and the challenges of this relationship.
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