Abstract

This paper offers a dystopian view of postmodern culture and corporate hegemony to foreground the effects of late capitalism on human and society. The paper interprets Max Barry’s Jennifer Government in the light of Frederic Jameson and Tom Moylan’s theories of postmodern culture and dystopia, respectively. For Jameson, postmodern culture is characterized by commodification of society, general depthlessness, simulacrum, and death of subjectivity. Similarly, Moylan considers dystopia an index of the systemic ills of late capitalism. The corporate hegemony enacts a socioeconomic hegemonic enclosure and deprives humans of social and individual identity. Barry’s novel presents a dystopic view of postmodern culture by foregrounding the commodification of society, corporate hegemony, and intensification of economic growth at the cost of social values, which prompt general depthlessness and social disintegration. The present study offers an explicit understanding of the ills of late capitalism by emphasizing the lived experience of social reality.

Key Words

Postmodern Culture, Commodification, Corporate Hegemony, Consumerism, Social Values, Dystopia,   

                            Social Disintegration.  

Introduction

This paper aims to explicate that postmodern culture is the index of the proliferation of late capitalism through corporate hegemony in contemporary global world. The paper claims that the commodification of society through corporate hegemony, spiraling of economic growth at the cost of social values, desertion of social responsibilities by governments, and the onslaught of commercial marketing campaigns are the salient features of postmodern culture which promote a general depthlessness and social disintegration, thus providing space for dystopian critique. The corporates based on free-market capitalism promote the economic growth by undermining social and human values. Resultantly, the society is overpowered by the logic of commercialization and profiteering at the cost of essential humanness and human life as well. In this regard, Barry’s (2003) novel Jennifer Government (JG) is a commentary on the dystopic hegemony of different corporates which have practically overpowered the typical concept of government and state institutions. The novel projects the picture of postmodern culture where depthlessness and consumerism are order of the day. The novel posits a clash between government and corporates to manifest the systemic demise of state institutions and success of commercialism which only favors the wealthy elite. The social and emotional life of characters project a dissatisfied and disgruntled human experience where every individual has been forced to submerge in the chaos of consumerism. Barry (2003) points out the potential threats of consumer-based culture which can annihilate the social system. The novel offers an insight into the lives of various individuals in a globalized capitalist world. These individuals are traversed in different corporates and represent the dual narrative of resistance and adherence to the cultural logic of late capitalism.

Literature Review

Postmodern culture was a reaction to the modernist culture which had its roots in the Enlightenment Thought system. In this regard, Hamilton (1992) points out that Modernism was the culmination of Enlightenment Project which generated metanarratives of rational supremacy, scientific development, and sociopolitical harmony. Similarly, modernism established that life is regulated by fixed philosophical truths or values and these truths can vouch for the ultimate culmination of human grandeur (p. 20-24). Novitz (2001) also explains that the Enlightenment emphasized the rational powers of individuals. Reason and logic replaced the metaphysical and supernatural modes of understanding the system of world (p. 155). However, these ideals of Enlightenment proved theoretical and contrary to the lived experience because the modernist thought system was the propagation of capitalist imperialism. Though, utopian metanarratives of Enlightenment tried to veil the power dynamics and sociopolitical hegemony of the powerful nations, but colonialism and monopoly capitalism debunked the ideological politics of modernism. Even science and technology strengthened the power of imperial powers. Postmodernism succeeded from modernist praxes but did not inherit its metanarratives. More than a narrative, postmodern theory became a critique of modernist mode of inquiry and thought. As a discursive construct, postmodernism is the critique as well as representation of contemporary culture. Similarly, Nicol (2009) suggests that theorists, artists, literary writers and cultural commentators felt that the period since 1950s and onwards has been significantly altered by new technologies, political economics and media. These alterations have given birth to its own cultural and aesthetic products. The term ‘postmodernism’ and the phrase ‘postmodern culture’ were invented to represent theses changes in the socioeconomic system (p. 3-5). The culmination of modernism into postmodernism provided space for dystopian narratives which debunk the multinational capitalism.    

Culture stands for socioeconomic, sociopolitical and aesthetic behavior of a society in a specific time frame. Every culture has a dominant which generates its ideology and is reflected through its cultural products and social behavior. Capitalism is the dominance of western culture and it had been a driving force behind western sociopolitical, socioeconomic and philosophical ideals. It is the leading socioeconomic system of the world which does not only regulate the economics but also plays a substantial role in shaping ideologies, social politics, political economics and cultural products. Capitalism underwent various modifications in its operations and resulted into diverse thought systems and ideological praxes. Mandel (1975) called the contemporary capitalism as late capitalism which is characterized by multinational corporates and consumerism in the age of electronic media (p. 5-7). As Harvey (1989) claims that postmodernism is the ideological ally of late capitalism, which is characterized in part by decentered administrative modes, interconnecting markets, and hyper consumerism (p. 35-38). Jameson (1991) approaches postmodernism from a dialectical perspective and offers a dialectical analysis of late capitalism on culture, ideology and society. He illuminates that late capitalism is not just a shift in the operation of business and state, it is the expansion of capitalistic culture into places hitherto beyond its sway. Its distinctive features include new forms of media interrelationships, computerization of society, proliferation of consumerism, and corporate hegemony (p. xviii). In this regard, the expansion of culture is achieved through the end of nature. Jameson further elucidates that postmodernism is the completion of modernism and this relatively new world is more human world where culture has become an absolute second nature (p. ix). Major (2011) explains Jameson’s view, “As for nature, Jameson refers to an eclipse, a liberation from its putative fetters, a process whereby nature is no longer culture’s other—it is culture” (p. 71). Postmodern culture rejoices in consumerism, corporatization of society, cultural disintegration and intensification of economic growth at social cost. The death of the signified or the referent, one of the principal features of postmodern culture, is staged through the segregation of nature and culture, promotion of consumerism and accentuation of marketing.

Jameson (1991) illuminates that postmodernism is a cultural dominant and not a style or variation in modernist praxes (p. 2-5). He explicates that the capital oriented culture has resulted into a general depthlessness which finds its prolongation in the culture of the image or simulacrum, death of the subject, a consequent loss of historicity, and a relatively new socioeconomics which thrives on marketing (p. 44-47). Likewise, Leitch (1992) also emphasizes that postmodernity is an age of simulacra addicted to images, stereotypes and spectacles. Postmodern culture transforms reality into representations, thus pronouncing the absence of signified or referent. The death of the referent ensures that production and utility are superseded by consumption and exchange (p.112). Similarly, Jameson (1991) enumerates the death of the subject and schizophrenia of the self as significant features of postmodern culture (p.14). The centered subject of individualism and the autonomous ego have been replaced by non-subject with a fragmented self which is linked to the world of organizational bureaucracy and corporate hegemony (p. 25-26). The cultural logic of late capitalism propels the fragmentation of self so that the simulations may be considered real for overcoming a sense of existential vacuum. Jamesonoffers a critique of late capitalism but at the same time does not reject it. As Leitch (1992) points out that Jameson’s response to the features of postmodern culture alternates between appreciation and antipathy. According to Leitch (1992), Jameson “frets over the celebration of the consumption ethic, the spreading nominalism, the collapse of mass opposition, and the foreclosure of global thinking” (p.114).    

Postmodern culture is aptly represented in dystopian narratives. Dystopia offers a critique of postmodern culture through speculative futures which portray the systemic ills of contemporary culture. Moylan (2000) considers dystopia as the fictive underside of the utopian imagination. It is a futuristic simulation of economic, political and cultural dimensions of present. Moylan (2000) also relates dystopia with Menippean satire, anti-utopian fiction of nineteenth century and social realism. It became critical of the capitalistic imperialism which were using metanarratives of science, technology and education to civilize humanity and offered utopian dreams in the guise of expanding its imperial rule over the world. In this way, this negative narrative produced thought-provoking futuristic simulations of the hidden and covert dangers of capitalism, imperialism, and corpocracy (p. ix-x). Dystopia brings to light the sociopolitical, socioeconomic and environmental ills as embedded, explicitly as well as implicitly, into social systems. Moylan (2000) suggests that dystopian text presents the alternative worlds to foreground the political, economic and cultural dimensions of diverse historical epochs (p. 191). Similarly, Bose (2008) points out the relentless power of corporates which have practically overtaken the government in Barry’s JG which cannot protect its citizens from the juggernaut of corporate capitalism. The world in JG is corporatized and social institutions do not fulfill any societal function. The pervasive logic of commercialism and profiteering have overpowered the social altruism. Even the government and state do not possess power and budget to safeguard the social existence of its citizens. The dystopic view offered by Barry (2003) in this novel highlight the dystopic hegemonic power of corporates. The novel also offers the narrative of resistance to provide space for utopian moment. In this way, dystopia exposes the impact of an invisible and covert social system on the lived experience of its subject in a dialectical fashion. The critical dystopia, in this context offers a double narrative in its structure; the narrative of the critique and the narrative of resistance and political inspiration. Moylan (2000) points out that the critical dystopias in the contemporary fictional space “resist both hegemonic and oppositional orthodoxies” even as they refunction a “more totalizing critique of the political economy itself” (p.190). He further suggests that these dystopias mark a space for a new form of political opposition, one fundamentally based in difference and multiplicity that can talk back in a larger though diverse collective voice and not only critique the present system but also begin to find ways to transform it.

The above given literature review establishes the link between dystopian poetics and postmodern culture. The commodification of society, corporate hegemony and consumerism are salient features of postmodern culture which are aptly represented in Barry’s JG. Jameson and Moylan’s theories of postmodern culture and dystopia, respectively, serve as the theoretical background of this research paper. The theoretical debate offered by these writers brings to light the dystopic view of postmodern culture through corporate hegemony which cause depthlessness and social disintegration. 

Research Methodology

The present study, based upon the close reading and exhaustive textual analysis of the selected text, aims to interpret the primary text in the light of the theoretical framework provided by Jameson and Moylan. The primary data has been interpreted in the light of Jameson’s theories of postmodern culture. Similarly, Moylan’s dystopian poetics has been used to contextualize the dystopic aspects of postmodern culture. The study is qualitative in its nature as it aims to study the consequences of postmodern culture on society and individual. In the light of this theoretical background, the research paper addresses the following questions. How the commodification of society is represented in Barry’s novel JG? What are the effects of the intensification of economic growth on society in general and individual in particular? How does postmodern culture indoctrinate depthlessness and social disintegration?  

Data Analysis

Commodification of Society, Marketing Campaigns and Corporate Hegemony. 

The social experience of postmodern culture foregrounds the corporate power and consumerism. In JG, Barry (2003) portrays a near future world which has been divided into USA countries and non-USA countries. In USA countries, the taxes have been abolished and every state institution has been privatized. There is no individual as well as national identity. The countries, which are being annexed to USA countries, have their surname USA i.e., USA Australia. The corporates like Apple, Microsoft, Walmart, Nike, Adidas, NRA, etc. have overpowered the economic as well as sociopolitical system of the USA countries. The government has been practically obliterated, or it has a very little jurisdiction. These corporates have their respective educational institutes, hospitals, shopping malls and residential colonies. The employed have their surnames according to the name of their company. John Nike, the antagonist of the novel, is vice president Guerrilla Marketing at Nike. Hack Nike works in merchandise department. Buy Mitsu is a broker at Mitsubishi. Hayley McDonalds is a teenage girl who is student in McDonald school. Pearson Police is a senior sergeant in Police which is also a private corporate. Violet is unemployed, so she does not have a surname. Similarly, Jennifer Government is a Government agent who is the protagonist of the novel. She has been characterized as a self-righteous individual who is fighting against all the odds to pursue John Nike. She does represent an altruistic model of government which has to curb the culprits for public good. The whole picture is dystopian in the sense that it offers an absolute reductionist view of human society, identity and values. The pervasive logic of profiteering and qualities of commercialization have been inculcated in the society which has wrecked the intellectual and rational transcending features.

Corporatized capitalist hegemony succeeds on the doctrine which promotes the intensification of economic growth at social and human cost. Too much emphasis on monetary gains harm the essential humanness, and social values. Barry (2003) portrays this social conundrum to emphasize the destruction of individual and society. The traditional concept of government ensures the social sanity and keeps political economics in certain boundaries. However, in JG, such boundaries have been trespassed which has created a sociopolitical chaos. The intensification of economic growth at any cost spreads a cultural depthlessness which Jameson (1991) explicated in his critique on postmodern culture. The main incident which puts the plot of novel in action is the marketing stunt employed by John Nike to kill fourteen kids as a marketing strategy to promote the Mercurys brand of Nike shoes. He tricked Hack Nike into this contract by alluring him financial gains and Hack signed the contract without reading the terms and conditions as well as knowing the nature of the job. John Nike reveals the marketing tricks to boost up sales. The capitalist logic creates an unflinching dissatisfaction in the consumers by an excessive flow of products which keeps consumers engrossed with upgrades. Similarly, marketing thrives on the culture of the image which, with the help of Photoshop techniques, project a picture of perfection, thus, creating an uncontrollable urge for the products. The same technique was employed by John Nike in the novel. He planned to kill certain kids while they had bought shoes and intended to promote it that people killed one another to get the pair of shoes. The power of the corporates is manifested in the absence of any fear for legal repercussions. The absence of any state institution to control the criminals like John Nike manifests the dystopic view of the society. Barry (2003) projects this futuristic situation to emphasize the significance of nation-state which is in danger from the dominant corporates. The state institutions like Police has been privatized. They do not get budget from the government to pursue the criminals and deploy effective policing. Rather, they have also become mercenaries. For instance, when Hack approaches Police to get him out from this mess in which John Nike has knotted him, Pearson Police offers him to subcontract the killings to Police. In this whole scenario, no one was considering about those kids who were going to be slaughtered for the profits of the companies involved. This points out the mercenary logic of late capitalism where human life, identity and existence do not have any value. After the killings of those unfortunate kids, John’s official statement about the killings was aired on TV in which he was shown condemning the act and vowing to hunt down the killers so that the deceased may get the justice. The dystopic view of Barry’s (2003) world is obvious in the representation of a socioeconomic system whose content does not match the substance. Though, the represented world is familiar, but its modes of operation are entirely dystopic. As McGuigan (2006) states that postmodern culture establishes a predicament of representation because it is associated with a detachment of the sign from the referent, representation from reality, the signifier from the signified, image from truth (p. 59-60). Similarly, in JG, Barry (2003) has cleverly presented a world which is detached from the acquainted referent, reality, the signified and the truth. The futuristic representation of all these corporates and their power project a picture of such culture where social values, human emotions and human existence do not stand for any currency. The pursuit of money is the only value in this dystopic world whose main protagonist is John Nike. The realization of right and wrong has nothing to do with capitalistic and corporate hegemony. The corporations just focus on their profits and success. That is why, people like John Nike, who are opportunist and materialist, conspire against social system and values. Instead of getting fired by Nike on the killing of kids, John Nike was given a higher post as he has shown unusual skills to increase the sales. At higher level, he came to know the bigger picture of the corporate politics. US Alliance and Team Advantage (T.A.) were the top global corporates which constitute the global corporate system. All other companies have joined either of them. They have private security personnel and armies which were ever ready to destroy the opposition. The decisiveness and implementation skills in John Nike earned him a new job as US Alliance Liaison. His job was to ensure and safeguard the interest of Nike. However, as John got into the bigger picture and met Liaisons from General Motors, Microsoft, and Johnson $ Johnson, he speculated, “it was amazing to think they were all on the same side. What they could do with all those marketing budgets working together” (Barry, 2003, p. 150). John’s character is the typical representative of corporate culture who is only concerned about the profit of his company which ensures his paycheck and perks.




Intensification of Economic Growth and Regressive Corpocracy

Barry (2003) has shown in JG that the apparent effective and efficient presentation of corporates is totally opposite to their covert sinister operations. The intensification of economic growth coupled with the regressive corpocracy prompt the fierce as well as immoral competition among the companies and a willingness to destroy each other. In this regard, Violet’s story is significant in the novel who was working on a Software/Virus which was super effective to ensure the cyber security of any company as well as to hack and corrupt the security protocols of rival companies. She went to ExxonMobil office in US Australia for the demonstration of her software. She was quite successful in passing their security protocols and corrupting their hardware through her software. Finding her software/virus potent and useful for the interest of the company, Rendell ExxonMobil, Manager, took flight from Melbourne to Dallas along with Violet to meet Nathaniel ExxonMobil, CEO. During their meeting, it became obvious to Violet that Nathanial did not want her software for defensive purposes. He did not want to use this software to shore up his I.T. security. Nathanial wanted Violet to practically implement the software on a target company’s server for his interests. Violet was helpless before Nathanial’s assertion and his forceful position. So, she accepted the proposition by accepting the contract from ExxonMobil which demanded full use of her software as well as her services to activate it at the rate of three million dollars. Nathanial’s plan was horrible and extremely dangerous. In fact, Shell was taking over ExxonMobil and Nathanial wanted Violet to access Shell’s main server and corrupt it so that the whole takeover process may be disrupted, and Shell’s reputation may be sabotaged. Besides, his personal interests, Shell was US Alliance company and ExxonMobil was T.A. T.A. had their own security personnel with weapons and every gear for war while, US Alliance has taken the services of NRA which is a private organization with private army, tanks, weapons, jets and personnel. As per plan, a team of dozen soldiers of T.A. attacked Shell headquarters in London along with Violet who was hustled to the main server by T.A. personnel. She succeeded in implementing Nathanial’s plans and literally toasted the entire Shell network and their integrated trading system. John Nike who was now working as US Alliance Liaison in corroboration with Shell Liaison took this chaotic situation as an opportunity to implement his qualities of decisiveness and implementation. He assumed the charge of NRA personnel and went to ExxonMobil headquarters and killed Nathanial. The chaotic situation created by T.A. and John Nike with the support of NRA brings the climax of the story which brings back Government in action. The Government which was helpless and low on budget to engage in the squabbling of corporates decided to play a significant role as situation was getting more and more nefarious. Primarily, Government wanted to have a negotiation with corporates to stop this mayhem. Government also arrested the subversive corporate representatives. It was also decided that a certain number of agents along with President of the Government would be sent to London to participate in negotiation and necessary action. Jennifer Government was also sent on the mission London which she happily accepted so that she could really tighten the noose on John Nike. Meanwhile, in London, John Nike also conspired a plan against Government with the collaboration of US Alliance and NRA. He assigned a sniper to shoot the president if their negotiations are not successful. He was basically planning a corporate coup on Government to establish the hegemony of corporates with no Government interference. All parties including T.A, US Alliance and Government were gathering at British Parliament. John Nike was representing US Alliance. The president spoke to both parties about the importance of freedom and justice and equal opportunities for the people in a conducive business environment free of violence and subversion. However, John Nike in his speech rejected the proposals made by the President and wailed about the arrest of their executives, raids on their private property and persecution of the corporates.

After this performance in the parliament, John, practically, waged a war against the Government. He had assigned a sniper to shoot the President. However, the shooter could not target the President due to timely arrival of Jennifer Government. John was quite upset with General Li NRA because the shooter not only failed to shoot the president but was also arrested by Jennifer Government. After this failure, John Nike ordered General Li to target the President’s plane in the air. This plan is perfectly executed, and the President was killed in the airstrike. John has practically succeeded to undo the writ of the government. However, all companies in US Alliance were a bit scared and agitated at the initiatives taken by John Nike. They called a meeting in L.A. and demanded expulsion of John Nike from US Alliance. They had a plan to expel John Nike from US Alliance by voting and handover him to Government and negotiate compensation for the damages he had caused. John is called to account by US Alliance. He received cold response from all the Liaisons. He was even upbraided by IBM Liaison who believed John has turned the world’s most distinguished corporations into criminals. However, John Nike brushed aside their fears and moral scruples. He chided the Liaisons that their trepidations were uncalled for. He explained to them: First, neither Government is going to arrest them, nor they can do so because they have lost their top executives in the plane attack. Not only this, they have also lost their ability to coordinate for now at least. Therefore, in the present situation, there is no need to be sacred from the Government. Secondly, as for as the consumer boycott is concerned, John assured them that consumers do not swap their favorite products because the company has done something wrong. Consumerism does not thrive on the content of the character of the company. It thrives on marketing by propagating the image of perfection in the minds of consumers. Thirdly, the death of certain people was not new in the interest of commerce and business. He clarified that all companies at some point in their respective business encounters put profit above human life. He further said to his impressed audience that he has given them a world without Government intrusion. They are now free to undertake every kind of advertising campaigns, intercompany deals and promotions. They are free to eliminate their competitions by employing NRA. They can easily make faulty products. It is a free world where corporations decide what is right for the masses not the dysfunctional Government which is more for form and less for functionality. John Nike’s convincing speech about the potential endless profiteering and expansion of business enterprise, electrified all Liaisons. The logic of profit overpowered the humanism, fear of Government and consumer backlash. Barry (2003) has debunked the endless greed of corporates in his dystopic version of near future where corporates have become so powerful that they can subvert the traditional societal system. Late capitalism, with its aggressive marketing schemes and simulations inculcate a consumerist mindset among the masses. It installs a false consciousness which aims at accomplishing the consumption of products. The second stage capitalism which Jameson (1991) calls imperial capitalism employs the false consciousness to accomplish an ideology, however, the third stage of multinational or late capitalism only aims to inculcate an endless depthlessness whose primary focus is the consumption of products and profiteering at any cost (p.34). Though, free market capitalism provides freedom and ease of business, but this freedom is easily eclipsed by the endless greed of the corporates. It hegemonizes the sense of community and induces social stratification which compartmentalizes the societal coherence. 




General Depthlessness and Social Disintegration. 

JG depicts general depthlessness and social disintegration in the portrayal of John Nike, Violet and corporatized social system. The meteoric rise of John Nike and his desperate actions portray the dystopic side of these corporations which subvert the societal harmony and encourage social disintegration. Back in L.A. John Nike continued his corporate expansion by using the military might of NRA. There were fights, bloodshed, and law and order situations in the society. However, the chaotic situation was controlled by timely intervention of Jennifer Government who arrested John Nike by risking her life as well as the life of her daughter. Similarly, the depthlessness affects the rational sensibilities. Violet, who cherished monetary gains by selling her hacking software, could not get the promised money as Nathanial was killed by John Nike. She was the only witness of this incident and decided to blackmail John Nike. However, he used her for his sinister schemes. He turned her into an extortionist and blackmailer and she subsequently lost her boyfriend, family relationships and social place. John asked violet to kidnap Jennifer’s daughter so that he may blackmail her. He promised her the financial rewards. Consequently, Violet kidnapped Jennifer’s daughter but she was rescued by Buy and Hack. Barry exposes general depthlessness and social disintegration in selfish pursuit of money at the cost of social and moral values. Another striking incident of depthlessness and social disintegration is depicted through the story of Buy Mitsui. He was an Accountant Manager in Mitsui Corporation and his story points out the cumbersome environment of corporate culture and how it toils on human nerves and emotional empathy. The corporate business operates on the principles of rewards and punishments, therefore, at one time there could be an enormous paycheck and the other time one can be fired and sued at the same time. Buy came to US Australia to make his fortunes. In the beginning, everything worked very well for Buy but recently he started to feel an emotional desertion and social disappointment. Last year, he received a paycheck of $347,000 which was a big achievement but until recently he was fed up with this endless pursuit of money. The ruthless competition in the broker market, routine merger and alliances and incessant pressure to meet the quota were making him disoriented and disillusioned with this so-called gratifying corporatized system. His encounter with Hayley McDonald in Chadstone Walmart changed his perspective about the political economics of the contemporary system and the importance of essential human values. It was the same unfortunate evening when fourteen kids were killed in the vicious promotion of Nike shoes and Hayley was one of them. Buy went to Chadstone Walmart to seek an escape from laborious toil, cumbersome pressure and paranoia. Hayley was also there in the Walmart and was trying to extract a loan from the ATM. She was disheveled as she was unable to get a loan of $5000. Buy gifted her the required amount and felt immense pleasure and satisfaction. The very feeling of helping someone without any motive soothed his nerves. He was about to leave Walmart when he heard the shots of gunfire. He rushed to the scene and found Hayley who was shot at neck and bleeding profusely. Barry (2003) has manifested the cultural depthlessness and governmental desertion of social responsibilities in this scene where Buy tried to get an ambulance for injured Hayley. He called 911, described the emergency and asked for an ambulance. Instead of sending ambulance immediately, the operator asked the surname of the injured to ensure that the victim is registered with them. He shouted at the operator that he would pay the bill for medical help, but the operator demanded in cold blood manner his credit card so that his ability to pay must be certified. In that chaotic situation, there was firing and shouting, and the operator could not listen the credit card number. It was already late, and Hayley died in his arms while the operator was asking again and again to repeat the credit card number. The incident brings to light the persistent outlook of a social system where capital is more significant than human life. Joh Nike got these teens killed to promote his rancorous promotion, those who could have been saved were killed by procedural protocols.

Findings

The exhaustive analysis and interpretation of the primary text in the light of theoretical framework proved the major hypothesis of the study that commodification of society through corporate hegemony, spiraling of economic growth at the cost of social values, desertion of social responsibilities by governments, and the onslaught of commercial marketing campaigns are the salient features of postmodern culture which promote a general depthlessness and social disintegration, thus providing space for dystopian critique. The analysis also answered the major research questions of the study. The discussion showed the commodification of society which is in the direct control of corporates. There is no social contract between the individual and the state. There is no individual identity as man is known by the company which owns him. The analysis exhibited that intensification of economic growth, without societal and individual welfare, is disastrous. John Nike’s attempt to eliminate the government by corporate quo is horrific to imagine. This economic war caused the deaths of many people and promoted a culture of exploitation which is regressive for social existence. Likewise, the discussion showed that different marketing campaigns in the novel devalue the essential humanness and caused fatal blows to innocent people for profiteering. The study presented that Barry’s message is to resist this cultural politics by resisting to the allures of capitalism and commercialism.

Conclusion

This study concludes that there is dire need to emphasize the importance of essential humanness and social values which safeguard human life. For a healthy social existence, it is incumbent to value love, sacrifice, and empathy for fellow human beings without any opportunistic or materialistic motives. It is binding to start a debate on the ills of late capitalism, complacency of people and corporatization of society. The need is to realize social as well as economic inequalities which prompt social disintegration. The late capitalism has altered the conventional modes of consumption and production. The brands, franchises and products are promoted on print and electronic media to promote consumerism. Multiple campaigns are run to induce the craving of products in the masses. Social media, printed billboards, circulars, glittering videos and television commercials play significant part in promoting a product. In this way, an atrophied culture of ephemeral simulacra is broadcasted and propagated in the society. The culture of simulacra, through the sophisticated methods of photo and video editing, augment the sense of dissatisfaction and hollowness by broadcasting a culture of perfection. Resultantly, an unconscious gulf is generated in social subjects on the pattern of false consciousness which can be only filled by a continued consumption of the products. The novel ends on a happy note as the disruptive forces have been curbed while the good forces have been rewarded. Barry (2003) emphasizes the need to develop state institutions and empower the governments so that corporates may not succeed in hegemonizing society. Business is important, but it should not be at the cost of human life.

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