Capitalism, New Materialism, and Posthumanism in Don DeLillo’s Cosmopolis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32350/llr.121.01%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Keywords:
animals, ecology, existentialism, feminism, machines, new materialism, politics, posthumanism, scienceAbstract
This research paper attempts to explore the questions that are raised when posthumanism and new materialism engage with feminist, anti-capitalist, anti-racist, and trans-activist strands using Don DeLillo’s Cosmopolis. Posthumanism compels us to rethink and redefine our understanding of the term humanism. According to humanism what distinguishes human beings from machines, animals and other non-human entities is that human beings occupy a natural space, they are exceptional, central and essential to the world. Posthumanism disagrees with this notion and challenges man’s authority as the privileged being in the world. Althusser wrote in For Marx that “the myth of Man is reduced to ashes by the mature science of historical materialism” (Althusser, 1996, p. 229). Posthumanism argues that the human being of twenty first century is no different from animals, machines and other non-human entities. This paper also explores the aspects of capitalism and anti-capitalism in DeLillo’s Cosmopolis (2003) with the help of Karl Marx’s remarks in Das Kapital chapter 10, “The Working-Day” and his pamphlet 1848 The Communist Manifesto. Technological advancement, and science have turned human beings into mere machines struggling for a future that overshadows their present. Constant fear of an unpredictable future gives birth to existentialist crisis and the protagonist of the Cosmopolis suffers from sleeplessness, wariness, boredom and extreme loneliness.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Syeda Saba Zahra, Aamir Aziz
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