BODIES WITHOUT ORGANS: DELEUZIAN EXEGESIS OF EARTHLINGS

Abstract

In contemporary literature, Sayaka Murata’s Earthlings emerges as a force of defiance against orthodoxy and sociocultural dictates. This paper performs a dissection of Earthlings, exploring negation as a productive force instead of a lack. The theoretical framework of this thesis is built upon Deleuzian philosophy. The primary method of research being textual analysis, draws on Body without Organs’ interpretations of the narrative. The primary focal point is on how the characters struggle with the incessant act of becoming. This study expands on the transcendence from the boundaries of normalcy by examining the characters’ experiences and their constant search for a harmonious self. Additionally, the inevitable dissolution of the self during a quest for it is discussed because Deleuze’s Body without Organs is inherently unachievable. The key objective of this research is to dismantle identity in order to depict an existence without a cohesive sense of self. This ensuing lack of distinctiveness seeks to shed light on the notions of orthodoxy and conformity, highlighting the contradictory aspects of human nature and how it fits into a societal environment. In conclusion, the goal is to challenge, develop, and defy social norms in order to accept the inherent intangibility of a self and make a significant contribution to the larger conversation about the construction of an identity, which is a fundamental component of the human experience.