William Gibson’s <i>Pattern Recognition</i>: Finding Human Agency in a Commodified Techno-Culture
This paper addresses the commodification of the human experience in late capitalism as depicted in William Gibson’s novel <i>Pattern Recognition</i> and the potential of technology in helping the human subject in evading commodification. The novel shows how the virtual world and the phys...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Literature |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-9789/2/4/22 |
| _version_ | 1797623965346168832 |
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| author | Ahmad A. Ghashmari |
| author_facet | Ahmad A. Ghashmari |
| author_sort | Ahmad A. Ghashmari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper addresses the commodification of the human experience in late capitalism as depicted in William Gibson’s novel <i>Pattern Recognition</i> and the potential of technology in helping the human subject in evading commodification. The novel shows how the virtual world and the physical world can become mutually supportive in allowing the characters to search for meaning, pattern and wholeness by using technology as an empowering force for the human subject while managing to avoid being consumed by a powerful capitalist market. The novel’s protagonist’s success in using technology as a humanizing force proves that humans can thrive within its sphere without necessarily being absorbed or overwhelmed by it. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:36:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ab3943d28a340d79c8fe4047c1f4609 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2410-9789 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:36:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Literature |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ab3943d28a340d79c8fe4047c1f46092023-11-16T17:13:55ZengMDPI AGLiterature2410-97892022-10-012426527710.3390/literature2040022William Gibson’s <i>Pattern Recognition</i>: Finding Human Agency in a Commodified Techno-CultureAhmad A. Ghashmari0English Language Institute, Bellevue College, Bellevue, WA 98007, USAThis paper addresses the commodification of the human experience in late capitalism as depicted in William Gibson’s novel <i>Pattern Recognition</i> and the potential of technology in helping the human subject in evading commodification. The novel shows how the virtual world and the physical world can become mutually supportive in allowing the characters to search for meaning, pattern and wholeness by using technology as an empowering force for the human subject while managing to avoid being consumed by a powerful capitalist market. The novel’s protagonist’s success in using technology as a humanizing force proves that humans can thrive within its sphere without necessarily being absorbed or overwhelmed by it.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-9789/2/4/22posthumanismlate capitalismtechno culture |
| spellingShingle | Ahmad A. Ghashmari William Gibson’s <i>Pattern Recognition</i>: Finding Human Agency in a Commodified Techno-Culture Literature posthumanism late capitalism techno culture |
| title | William Gibson’s <i>Pattern Recognition</i>: Finding Human Agency in a Commodified Techno-Culture |
| title_full | William Gibson’s <i>Pattern Recognition</i>: Finding Human Agency in a Commodified Techno-Culture |
| title_fullStr | William Gibson’s <i>Pattern Recognition</i>: Finding Human Agency in a Commodified Techno-Culture |
| title_full_unstemmed | William Gibson’s <i>Pattern Recognition</i>: Finding Human Agency in a Commodified Techno-Culture |
| title_short | William Gibson’s <i>Pattern Recognition</i>: Finding Human Agency in a Commodified Techno-Culture |
| title_sort | william gibson s i pattern recognition i finding human agency in a commodified techno culture |
| topic | posthumanism late capitalism techno culture |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-9789/2/4/22 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ahmadaghashmari williamgibsonsipatternrecognitionifindinghumanagencyinacommodifiedtechnoculture |