But in the night we are all the same
Abstract
But In the Night We Are All the Same, a critical dystopian novel, explores the creation and perpetuation of power structures, gender identity, and desire. The protagonist, Lemon, is a member of the oppressed class. She lives in a nameless city where she and her peers are kept endlessly alive by "hospital machines," a technology that cures every illness and prolongs life. The ruling group (the Those That) uses mindcontrol technologies known as noodles and stroodles to compel the oppressed class to buy the items they see advertised and to make them perform various violent, sexual and degrading acts for the Those That's amusement. Although the people of the city dislike aspects of their lives, most worship and admire the Those That as much as they fear them. Lemon's partner and love interest Astrix, once a member of the Those That, has had his memory erased and must struggle to find out his identity and to come to terms with who he is once he remembers his past. Lemon and Astrix help each other to resist and to determine their identities. Like other modern dystopian novels, this one focuses on an individual's struggle to resist the society and ends with a hopeful conclusion that shows that a better society can exist in the future. Additionally, this novel uses a female protagonist to illustrate the ways in which a person can be oppressed in both gender-specific and non-gender-specific ways. It also illustrates the power structures that lie beneath social systems, and examines how people's desires can be manipulated into a form of social control.
Degree
Ph. D.