(Dis)utopian Landscapes in Don DeLillo’s Fiction

Year 2023, , 164 - 178, 30.11.2023

Muhsin Yanar

https://doi.org/10.30613/curesosc.1381692

Abstract

The concepts of utopia (a good place) and dystopia (a bad place) might be arrived at and developed by one’s contact with the (constructed) reality and comprehension, yet frustration and discontent with it, and one’s pessimism and optimism over a better present and future contingent upon the place and time in which one exists. The former has a long history, whereas the latter is a work in progress. That is, one cannot simply distinguish between the two by asking whether the latter is primarily precautionary and reactive, cautioning us what not to do, whilst the former is proactive, pointing us towards the right direction. Both the former and latter may have similar motives, namely, to demonstrate the dark characteristics of one society by comparing it with another, fictitious culture. Someone’s utopia might alternate dystopia, or many traditional utopias from the past include aspects that modern readers would identify as dystopian. On the other hand, one could argue that dystopia serves as the worst-case scenario, presenting a degraded, collapsing, and/or collapsed society, be it socio-culturally, economically, or technologically, worse than another, yet still hopeful for a drastic change for the better. Utopia could be received as the best-case scenario for people in a society considering its socio-political demise. Shortly, both utopian and dystopian scenarios would fit into an extended framework of contemplations on a catastrophe that would either signal a tremendous shift for the better or result in an apocalyptic nightmare. Drawing on the standpoints of Giles Deleuze and Jean Baudrillard and tracing Don DeLillo’s fiction, this paper seeks to explore the notion of dystopia, the future assumptions that dystopian fiction puts forward, and the challenges and issues it highlights, such as digital surveillance, technological control, the disappearance of individualism, uncertainty, and dread.

Keywords

Utopia, Dystopia, Deleuze, Baudrillard, Don DeLillo

Don DeLillo Kurgusunda Dis(ü)topya Manzaraları

Abstract

Ütopya (iyi yer) ve distopya (kötü yer) kavramlarına, insanın (inşa edilmiş) gerçeklik teması ve kavrayışı, hayal kırıklığı ve hoşnutsuzluğu ve daha iyi bir şimdiki ve gelecek zamana yönelik karamsarlığı veya iyimserliği üzerinden karar verebiliriz. Bunların ilki derin bir geçmişe sahipken, ikincisi halen devam eden bir çalışmadan ibarettir. Yani, ikisi arasındaki temel ayrım, ilkinin proaktif olup bize doğru yönü işaret ettiği, ikincisinin öncelikli olarak uyarıcı ve tepkisel olup olmadığı, bizi ne yapıp ne yapmamamız gerektiği konularında uyarması üzerinden yapılamaz. Her ikisi de herhangi bir toplumun karanlık yönlerini hayali diğer bir kültürle karşılaştırmalı olarak sunmak gibi bir odağa sahip olabilir. Birinin ütopyası, bir başkasının alternatif bir distopya olabilir veya geçmişten gelen birçok geleneksel ütopya, modern okuyucuların distopik olarak tanımlayacağı yönleri içerebilir. Distopyanın en kötü durum senaryosu olarak hizmet ettiği, sosyo-kültürel, ekonomik ve teknolojik olarak çökmüş ve/veya çökmekte olan bir toplum sunduğu ve ötekinden daha kötü olduğu, ancak yine de bir umut vaat ettiği iddia edilebilir. Ütopya, sosyo-politik yok oluşu içeren bir toplumda yaşayan insanlar için en iyi bir senaryo olarak algılanabilir. Kısaca hem ütopik hem de distopik senaryolar, ya daha iyiye doğru büyük bir değişimi işaret eder ya da kıyamet benzeri bir kabusla sonuçlanacak bir felaket üzerine geniş bir tefekküre sığınır. Bu makale, Giles Deleuze ve Jean Baudrillard’ın bakış açılarından yararlanıp Don DeLillo kurgusunun izini sürerek, özellikle distopya kavramını, gelecek varsayımları, olası zorluklar ve problemleri dijital gözetim, teknolojik kontrol, bireyin ölümü, belirsizlik ve korku kavramlarına odaklanarak ele alacaktır.

Keywords

Ütopya, Distopya, Deleuze, Baudrillard, Don DeLillo

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