ipl-logo

Mechanised Monstrosity

1841 Words8 Pages

Mechanised Monstrosity
By
Sanjana Jain

With the growth of technology, it is now becoming possible to extend body and bodily functions, in an attempt that one may be able to control his or her environment better. But this also implies a possible displacement of the material body by a range of possible machine-human fusions, and other embodied forms(Featherstone and Burrows 1995, 2). The fantasies revolving around these bodies have existed for a long time and have manifested themselves in various depictions in pop culture, some popular icons being seen in films like Blade Runner (1982), Terminator series (1984,1991) Robocop series(1987,1990) and more. This essay will draw on cyborgs and their representation as post-human forms and how the female …show more content…

But, just the way there is a difference in the monstrosity of a male monster and its female counterpart there will be a different reading of the monstrosity of a female cyborg vis-a-vis a male cyborg. While the male cyborg is generally portrayed as being “strong, powerful and aggressive”, he is not sexualised that often, while the contrary seems to apply for female cyborgs that are shown as “hypersexual, dangerous and disruptive”(Shaw-Garlock n.d.). While Donna J. Haraway’s cyborgs live in a “post-gendered world”, where gender distinctions are fluid(Haraway 2000, 51-52), Mary Anne Doanne points out that “When technology intersects with the body in the realm of representation, the question of sexual difference is inevitably involved”(Doanne 2000, 110) and it can be noted how the female cyborg has been portrayed as a form fulfilling masculine techno-fetishes or conversely as sexual monstrosities.(Shaw-Garlock …show more content…

These Gynoids have been instilled with the ‘ghosts’ (akin to souls) of young girls for greater saleability. With blue eyes, yet porcelain Asian features and straight black hair, coupled with a body that looks like that of a pre-pubescent girl, these dolls epitomise the techno-fetish (Endo 2012, 513) of the ‘Lolicon’ (or ‘rorikon’ in Japanese) genre(Clement 2011,

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Out-Of-Body Image By Caroline Heldman

    842 Words  | 4 Pages

    Individuals go through a process, called socialization, by which they internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as members of that society (Conley 118). In the essay, “Out-of-body Image” by Caroline Heldman the reader is exposed to a contemporary problem that women face in the modern world of consumerism. Heldman is effective in making her call to action in regards to the problem of self-objectification that has emerged through mass media by targeting women through an amalgamation of logical, ethical, and emotional appeals. Heldman’s purpose in writing the essay was to not only inform the reader of the current predicament that women face, but to make an effective call to action in which women

    Read More

  • Essay On Gender Roles In Dawn And Neuromancer

    1635 Words  | 7 Pages

    Both Neuromancer and Dawn are works of science fiction taking place in the future of our own world. In this way they both provide ways to look at our own society through a different lense. Both Gibson and Butler bring to light many of the problems of our own world through their literature. Two articles are highlighted as well: In her article, Razor Girls: Genre and Gender in Cyberpunk fiction, Lauraine Leblanc addresses the issue of gender as a dichotomous system.

    Read More

  • Katherena Vermette's The Break

    1674 Words  | 7 Pages

    This essay argues that the gendered performance of the characters is due to Linda Nicholson’s biological foundationalism as explored in Interpreting Gender (1999). The differences in reactions between the men and women of the story are not

    Read More

  • Cinder Essay

    414 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marissa Meyer’s Cinder revamps the classic tale about a poor maiden, a blue puffy dress and a glass slipper. Incorporating androids in a world dominated by humans presents a rigid hierarchical structure that oppresses cyborgs and keeps those with beating hearts on top. Such hierarchy objectifies cyborgs as metal parts held together by screws. Their intellect and skills become disregarded yet are useful assets to their owners. Thus, placing the oppressor, humans, and the oppressed, androids, under the same roof and family, highlights the questionable morality of this hierarchal system.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Feminism

    968 Words  | 4 Pages

    Plant looked at the social potential of cyber-technology, and therefore can be seen as a important contributor to the understanding of technology in society. Plant is mainly know for her work on cyberfeminism, cyberfeminism can be seen as " the cultural turn against determinist arguments, emphasising subjectivity and agency, generating a utopian perspective." (Wajcman, 2013) . Cyberfeminism is a modern word used to define the attitudes of a contemporary feminist community whose enthusiasm is for the internet, cyberspace and technology. The main cyberfeminist idea takes an idealistic viewpoint on cyberspace and the internet as instruments which can be used for the freedom from social designs such as gender and gender inequality.

    Read More

  • The Monster As Woman Karen Hollinger Analysis

    1270 Words  | 6 Pages

    Karen Hollinger is a professor of English at Atlantic University, an author and is also a very strong feminist. Hollinger’s essay, “The Monster as Woman: Two Generations of Cat People,” is an essay merely expressing how most monsters in novels or films are characterized as masculine identities and that viewers forget how powerful feminine identities in novels and films can be. Hollinger’s goal in this essay is to explain that feminine monsters are just as frightening all masculine monsters. She uses many references to movies with feminine monsters and expresses how powerful they are compared to masculine monsters and also expresses that males and females have castration anxieties. I think Hollinger succeeded in a sophisticated way because she

    Read More

  • Nature Vs Nurture Frankenstein

    1141 Words  | 5 Pages

    The gothic fiction novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley describes “what happens when a man tries to have a baby without a woman” (Mellor). In the novel, females are shown with vital feminine nurture and empathy. However, the monster is denied this nurture due to man’s lack of femininity. This absence of nurture leads to the monster’s violence and vengeance. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley employs the monster’s violent tendencies due to lack of nurture as a way to communicate the importance of feminine nurture in humanity.

    Read More

  • Barbie Doll And Richard Cory Analysis

    723 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Norton Introduction to Literature. Shorter 12th ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2016, pp. 794-800. "Overview: 'Barbie Doll'.

    Read More

  • Meaning Of Barbie Q By Sandra Cisneros

    606 Words  | 3 Pages

    Barbie dolls extend girls an invitation to a ‘‘plastic society’’ that doesn't accept the genuineness each of us possesses. They present a role model impossible to accomplish. The characters didn't have names, they could hold a symbolic representation of society’s judgment. The girls had the first dolls just like they wanted, but they desired to cover all of the imperfections on the dolls damaged in the fire with new clothes such as the ‘‘Prom Pink outfit’’ (Cisneros). Thereupon, no one would notice the

    Read More

  • Identity In Marge Piercy's Barbie Doll

    730 Words  | 3 Pages

    With the constant fear of ridicule and discrimination, we still try and define ourselves, though we are always under the society’s scope. Marge Piercy, in her poem “Barbie Doll”, gives us a look at the influence of our surroundings and how something as innocent as a doll can trigger these insecurities. Our strive for acceptance and “perfection” can cause major emotional damage on anyone who identifies as a woman. Young girls look at these depictions of “perfect” bodies, such as a barbie doll for example, and compare themselves. In the poem “Barbie Doll”, Piercy talks about a young girl who she described as “...healthy, tested and intelligent...” (247) but, she was picked on by peers who said she had “a great big nose and fat legs.”

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Marge Piercy's A Barbie Doll

    1480 Words  | 6 Pages

    Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” takes a sarcastic approach to backlash at society and send the reader a message about what beauty really is. In “Barbie Doll”, A Barbie doll is used to show and symbolize what society views as what a female should aspire to become “perfect”. “Barbie's unrealistic body type…busty with a tiny waist, thin thighs and long legs…is reflective of our culture's feminine ideal. Yet less than two percent of American women can ever hope to achieve such dreamy measurements.”

    Read More

  • Blade Runner And Terminators: A Comparative Analysis

    1957 Words  | 8 Pages

    One of the most important functions of Terminator 2 and Blade Runner within their Science Fiction subgenre is their portrayal of ‘The Other’ or the nonhuman. In this particular case, we are talking about the Terminators and the Replicants and how they are presented in the films. The Terminators are classified as cyborgs in Terminator 2, whereas Replicants are androids which are based on Phillip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. The terms android and cyborg are completely relative to how the films present them and have a debated definition within the sci-fi community. However, the Terminators are machines that are made in the likeness of human beings.

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: The Changing Perception Of Women

    609 Words  | 3 Pages

    It was a warm spring morning in May when my mother and father headed to the hospital to give birth to a little girl. On May 18th, 1998 at 7:34 a.m. I, Allison Michelle Keitel, was born. A lot has changed in these past 18 years, but growing up in a time period between “the good old day” and technology was one of the best generations to live during. Getting to roll around in mud with my siblings and playing outside everyday was one of my favorite memories, however, my generation is also the first generation to grow up with technology.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of What Makes A Woman By Elinor Burkett

    1767 Words  | 8 Pages

    In the article, “What Makes a Woman?” , American journalist, Elinor Burkett, addresses the topic of transgender females and natural females, along with their contrasting views. The article argues that transgender women can not transition and automatically generalize the entire female population. The purpose is to show that there is more to a woman than just her physical anatomy which is accomplished by Burkett. The rhetorical feature that influences the audience the most is pathos, such as when she talks about the struggles of changing from a young lady into a woman, and how a transgender can never truly understand this transformation.

    Read More

  • Mean Ladies Transgendered Villains In Disney Films Analysis

    524 Words  | 3 Pages

    Amanda Putnam’s essay, “Mean Ladies: Transgendered Villains in Disney Films”, is a compelling piece on gender portrayal and views in Disney films. Putnam opened the essay with a personal anecdote about her daughter. Her daughter wanted a Disney movie without a “mean lady”, as in most Disney films the villains are scary, evil women. The real life evidence strengthened her claim that children are noticing the characterization of female villains in Disney films. The antidote was brought fill circle when she referred back to her daughter in the final paragraphs of her essay.

    Read More

More about Mechanised Monstrosity

Open Document