A Comparison of New Materialism

When reading about another classmates' views on new materialism, which you can find here, I really like how the author, Caitlyn Dorsch, explained the dynamic of Thing-power within society. What's interesting is that it's somewhat representative of both dystopian environments, but also of today's society as well. Dorsch explains how dominant cultures attempt to restrict the concepts of new materialism, and particularly Thing-power, in order to maintain their power and control over minority groups. After all, the whole concept of new materialism is to break the barriers between binaries and social constructs so that every person and every thing is seen to have equal value and importance.

Going off of this, Dorsch chose a great example to reflect this notion by highlighting some examples from within Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. We see a lot of things that are given Thing-power, such as nature, weapons, jabberjays, muttations, trackerjackers, and the mockingjay.

An example of the "muttations" that has Thing-power in the Hunger Games. 

I think the mockingjay symbol within the novel is a prime example of new materialism ideology. The mockingjay becomes a symbol of hope for the rebellion, and overtime, Katniss becomes more and more associated with it. She struggles to distinguish her own identity from that of the mockingjay's. Which Dorsch points out with the people of Panem dehumanizing Katniss as the mockingjay's Thing-power continued to grow. Even so, I don't think that mockingjay's Thing-power ever overshadows Katniss'. In the ideal state of new materialism, Katniss and the mockingjay are synonymous. Which means that they both have the same amount of Thing-power. I think in her killing Coin, she is able to separate herself from the mockingjay symbol, which rejects the notion of new materialism. It was the her first step, the second of which was rejecting the role of the mockingjay to step up and be the leader that rebuilds Panem. Instead, she leaves the Capital to start her own family and live her own life in District 12 with Peeta. In doing so, the mockingjay symbol loses a majority of the Thing-power that it had gained during the rebellion.

 

the mockingjay grew to become associated with Katniss Everdeen, and hope for the rebellion in the Hunger Games.

Dorsch also makes a good point in relating the importance of practicing aspects of new materialism in today's society. With COVID-19 going on, lots of people are able to work from home. Others have either had to have been laid off, or continue to work in an environment that puts them at a higher risk of contracting the virus. This includes grocery store workers, people delivering and shipping mail, local businesses, and more. A lot of which are minimum wage jobs. In light of COVID, they're now considered essential jobs and workers. Without them, our society would collapse. Until now, it was easy for people to look down at the type of work they did and how much they got paid for doing it. Now, more people are realizing the importance of their roles within society. They are appreciating them more, and in a lot of cases, realizing that they deserve to be paid a lot more.

Grocery store workers are considered essential jobs during COVID-19, along with other minimum-wage jobs.

In that sense, I agree with Dorsch in that new materialism really does help give a voice to countercultures in order for the dominant cultures within society to see their value. 

I think another aspect of new materialism we can see in today's society is the actual amount ofThing-power that nature has. Due to COVID-19, we're seeing a lot of instances where the natural environment is able to recover from anthropogenic pollution. This includes the smog in San Fransisco clearing up, fish and wildlife returning to the canals in Venice for the first time in over 60 years, in addition to a multitude of other environmental quality improvements.

Canals in Venice are clear due to lack of pollution and boat traffic. There are also signs of fish and wildlife returning, such as dolphins, which haven't been seen in over 60 years.

It goes back to what I mentioned in my other blog post, which you can find here, and the power of nature. In my other post, I talk mostly about the destructive forces that nature is capable of. On the other hand, we can also see the constructive power that nature is equally capable of.


Sources:

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. 2008.

Dorsch, Caitlyn. "New Materialism And Dystopian Environments April 06, 2020". Dorsch's View Of Dystopian Environments, 2020, https://dorsch-dystopianenvironments.blogspot.com/2020/04/new-materialism-and-dystopian.html. Accessed 16 Apr 2020.

Wason, Hope. "The Nature Of The Road". Dystopian Fiction, 2020, https://hopesdystopianblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-nature-of-road.html. Accessed 16 Apr 2020.