Abstract
This study explores how the dystopian genre is used by novelist Michel Houellebecq to convey declinist concerns through literature. Drawing from various disciplines within the humanities, as well as literary analysis and close reading, I show how deeply declinist ideas inform Houellebecq's fiction and that Houellebecq's entire novelistic universe, present as well as future,can be read as dystopian. After examining the socially critical and premonitory functions of dystopia, as well as the declinist impulse throughout French history, Houellebecq's novels are analysed around three key dystopian themes: economy, the body and religion.
Original language | English |
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Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
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Award date | 5 Jul 2018 |
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Publication status | Unpublished - 2018 |