Allegorical Dissections of Capitalism: A Post-Modern Reading of José Saramago's <i>The Cave</i>

Divya Ram Krishnan; Manohar Dagadu Dugaje

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15

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Allegorical Dissections of Capitalism: A Post-Modern Reading of José Saramago's The Cave

Divya Ram Krishnan, Manohar Dagadu Dugaje^*

Published in English Language, Literature & Culture (Volume 8, Issue 4)

Received: 26 October 2023 Accepted: 13 November 2023 Published: 24 November 2023

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Abstract

This research paper delves into José Saramago's The Cave (2000) to examine the intricate thematic landscape that highlights a reality dominated by the proliferation of replicas and appearances. These phenomena appear to challenge and potentially supersede traditional values, particularly those intertwined with familial and occupational relationships. Within this narrative, Saramago deftly crafts a world where the influence of neoliberalism supersedes all other guiding principles, giving rise to a new paradigm of meaning shaped by the omnipresence of replicas, thereby blurring the boundaries of the so-called real world. This paper endeavors to position Saramago's narrative firmly within the framework of postmodern allegory, shedding light on the broader cultural and philosophical implications of his work. This reading of the novel primarily reveals that the prevailing system in social relations and human consciousness is capitalism, where mechanisms of discipline enforce subservience through contracts that benefit the Center, as seen in the book involving Cipriano's goods. Saramago foreshadowed a surreal, digitally-focused reality with the allure of social media, exacerbated by the pandemic landscape. We are surrounded by simulacra and anesthetizing influences. Saramago's reinterpretation of Plato's cave allegory involves journeying into the cave to escape a world of illusion and surveillance. Interactions with others help us perceive ourselves, emphasizing human values and rationality while criticizing the reduction of human existence to profit generation and technological spectacles.

Published in	English Language, Literature & Culture (Volume 8, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15
Page(s)	115-121
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Allegory, Saramago, Capitalism, Post-Modern, Social Critique

References

[1]	Bauman, Z. Liquid modernity. Polity Press. 2012.
[2]	Biebricher, T., & Vogelmann, F. The Birth of Austerity: German Ordoliberalism and Contemporary Neoliberalism. Rowman & Littlefield International. 2017.
[3]	Foucault, M., & Senellart, M. The Birth of Biopolitics Lectures at the College de France, 1978-1979. Palgrave Macmillan. 2011.
[4]	Genosko, G. Deleuze and Guattari. Routledge. 2001.
[5]	Giddens, A. The Consequences of Modernity. Polity Press. 2015.
[6]	Hayek, F. A. The use of knowledge in society. Online Library of Liberty. 2010.
[7]	Laird, A. (2003). Death, Politics, Vision, and Fiction in Plato’s Cave (After Saramago). Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics, 10(3), 1–30. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20163896
[8]	Marx, K., & Engels, F. Karl Marx: Capital. Progress Publishers. 1997.
[9]	Saramago, J. The Cave. Vintage Classics. 2003.
[10]	Sarlo, B. Cenas da Vida Pós-Moderna: Intelectuais, arte e Videocultura na Argentina. Ed. UFRJ. 2004.
[11]	Schulenburg, Chris T. “A CULTURAL BATTLE WITH THE CENTER: JOSÉ SARAMAGO’s ‘THE CAVE’ AND GLOBALIZATION.” Romance Notes 44, no. 3 (2004): 283–91. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43802300.
[12]	Seixo, M. A. (1987). O essencial sobre josé saramago. Imprensa nacional-Casa da moeda.
[13]	Wikimedia Foundation. Ludwig Erhard. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Erhard. 2023, October 9.
[14]	Žižek, S. The Year of Dreaming Dangerously. Verso. 2012.

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Krishnan, D. R., Dugaje, M. D. (2023). Allegorical Dissections of Capitalism: A Post-Modern Reading of José Saramago's The Cave. English Language, Literature & Culture, 8(4), 115-121. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15

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ACS Style

Krishnan, D. R.; Dugaje, M. D. Allegorical Dissections of Capitalism: A Post-Modern Reading of José Saramago's The Cave. Engl. Lang. Lit. Cult. 2023, 8(4), 115-121. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15

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AMA Style

Krishnan DR, Dugaje MD. Allegorical Dissections of Capitalism: A Post-Modern Reading of José Saramago's The Cave. Engl Lang Lit Cult. 2023;8(4):115-121. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15,
  author = {Divya Ram Krishnan and Manohar Dagadu Dugaje},
  title = {Allegorical Dissections of Capitalism: A Post-Modern Reading of José Saramago's The Cave},
  journal = {English Language, Literature & Culture},
  volume = {8},
  number = {4},
  pages = {115-121},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ellc.20230804.15},
  abstract = {This research paper delves into José Saramago's The Cave (2000) to examine the intricate thematic landscape that highlights a reality dominated by the proliferation of replicas and appearances. These phenomena appear to challenge and potentially supersede traditional values, particularly those intertwined with familial and occupational relationships. Within this narrative, Saramago deftly crafts a world where the influence of neoliberalism supersedes all other guiding principles, giving rise to a new paradigm of meaning shaped by the omnipresence of replicas, thereby blurring the boundaries of the so-called real world. This paper endeavors to position Saramago's narrative firmly within the framework of postmodern allegory, shedding light on the broader cultural and philosophical implications of his work. This reading of the novel primarily reveals that the prevailing system in social relations and human consciousness is capitalism, where mechanisms of discipline enforce subservience through contracts that benefit the Center, as seen in the book involving Cipriano's goods. Saramago foreshadowed a surreal, digitally-focused reality with the allure of social media, exacerbated by the pandemic landscape. We are surrounded by simulacra and anesthetizing influences. Saramago's reinterpretation of Plato's cave allegory involves journeying into the cave to escape a world of illusion and surveillance. Interactions with others help us perceive ourselves, emphasizing human values and rationality while criticizing the reduction of human existence to profit generation and technological spectacles.
},
 year = {2023}
}

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TY  - JOUR
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AB  - This research paper delves into José Saramago's The Cave (2000) to examine the intricate thematic landscape that highlights a reality dominated by the proliferation of replicas and appearances. These phenomena appear to challenge and potentially supersede traditional values, particularly those intertwined with familial and occupational relationships. Within this narrative, Saramago deftly crafts a world where the influence of neoliberalism supersedes all other guiding principles, giving rise to a new paradigm of meaning shaped by the omnipresence of replicas, thereby blurring the boundaries of the so-called real world. This paper endeavors to position Saramago's narrative firmly within the framework of postmodern allegory, shedding light on the broader cultural and philosophical implications of his work. This reading of the novel primarily reveals that the prevailing system in social relations and human consciousness is capitalism, where mechanisms of discipline enforce subservience through contracts that benefit the Center, as seen in the book involving Cipriano's goods. Saramago foreshadowed a surreal, digitally-focused reality with the allure of social media, exacerbated by the pandemic landscape. We are surrounded by simulacra and anesthetizing influences. Saramago's reinterpretation of Plato's cave allegory involves journeying into the cave to escape a world of illusion and surveillance. Interactions with others help us perceive ourselves, emphasizing human values and rationality while criticizing the reduction of human existence to profit generation and technological spectacles.

VL  - 8
IS  - 4
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Author Information

Divya Ram Krishnan

Department of Professional Studies, CHRIST (Deemed to Be University), Bangalore, India

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Manohar Dagadu Dugaje

Department of English, Arts, Science and Commerce College, Nashik, India

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Krishnan, D. R., Dugaje, M. D. (2023). Allegorical Dissections of Capitalism: A Post-Modern Reading of José Saramago's The Cave. English Language, Literature & Culture, 8(4), 115-121. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15

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ACS Style

Krishnan, D. R.; Dugaje, M. D. Allegorical Dissections of Capitalism: A Post-Modern Reading of José Saramago's The Cave. Engl. Lang. Lit. Cult. 2023, 8(4), 115-121. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15

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AMA Style

Krishnan DR, Dugaje MD. Allegorical Dissections of Capitalism: A Post-Modern Reading of José Saramago's The Cave. Engl Lang Lit Cult. 2023;8(4):115-121. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15,
  author = {Divya Ram Krishnan and Manohar Dagadu Dugaje},
  title = {Allegorical Dissections of Capitalism: A Post-Modern Reading of José Saramago's The Cave},
  journal = {English Language, Literature & Culture},
  volume = {8},
  number = {4},
  pages = {115-121},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ellc.20230804.15},
  abstract = {This research paper delves into José Saramago's The Cave (2000) to examine the intricate thematic landscape that highlights a reality dominated by the proliferation of replicas and appearances. These phenomena appear to challenge and potentially supersede traditional values, particularly those intertwined with familial and occupational relationships. Within this narrative, Saramago deftly crafts a world where the influence of neoliberalism supersedes all other guiding principles, giving rise to a new paradigm of meaning shaped by the omnipresence of replicas, thereby blurring the boundaries of the so-called real world. This paper endeavors to position Saramago's narrative firmly within the framework of postmodern allegory, shedding light on the broader cultural and philosophical implications of his work. This reading of the novel primarily reveals that the prevailing system in social relations and human consciousness is capitalism, where mechanisms of discipline enforce subservience through contracts that benefit the Center, as seen in the book involving Cipriano's goods. Saramago foreshadowed a surreal, digitally-focused reality with the allure of social media, exacerbated by the pandemic landscape. We are surrounded by simulacra and anesthetizing influences. Saramago's reinterpretation of Plato's cave allegory involves journeying into the cave to escape a world of illusion and surveillance. Interactions with others help us perceive ourselves, emphasizing human values and rationality while criticizing the reduction of human existence to profit generation and technological spectacles.
},
 year = {2023}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Allegorical Dissections of Capitalism: A Post-Modern Reading of José Saramago's The Cave
AU  - Divya Ram Krishnan
AU  - Manohar Dagadu Dugaje
Y1  - 2023/11/24
PY  - 2023
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DO  - 10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15
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JF  - English Language, Literature & Culture
JO  - English Language, Literature & Culture
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EP  - 121
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-2413
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20230804.15
AB  - This research paper delves into José Saramago's The Cave (2000) to examine the intricate thematic landscape that highlights a reality dominated by the proliferation of replicas and appearances. These phenomena appear to challenge and potentially supersede traditional values, particularly those intertwined with familial and occupational relationships. Within this narrative, Saramago deftly crafts a world where the influence of neoliberalism supersedes all other guiding principles, giving rise to a new paradigm of meaning shaped by the omnipresence of replicas, thereby blurring the boundaries of the so-called real world. This paper endeavors to position Saramago's narrative firmly within the framework of postmodern allegory, shedding light on the broader cultural and philosophical implications of his work. This reading of the novel primarily reveals that the prevailing system in social relations and human consciousness is capitalism, where mechanisms of discipline enforce subservience through contracts that benefit the Center, as seen in the book involving Cipriano's goods. Saramago foreshadowed a surreal, digitally-focused reality with the allure of social media, exacerbated by the pandemic landscape. We are surrounded by simulacra and anesthetizing influences. Saramago's reinterpretation of Plato's cave allegory involves journeying into the cave to escape a world of illusion and surveillance. Interactions with others help us perceive ourselves, emphasizing human values and rationality while criticizing the reduction of human existence to profit generation and technological spectacles.

VL  - 8
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download