Geocriticism Study of Spatio-temporality through Post-apocalyptique Novel Malevil by Robert Merle

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Department of foreign languages, PayameNoor University (PNU), Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jor.2024.364784.2458

Abstract

The importance of geographic space is extremely evident in post-apocalyptic novels, especially in the science-fiction and post-apocalyptic novel of Malevil by Robert Merle. Malevil represents under a huge unknown explosion a post-apocalyptique image of Malevil’s space and its surrounding. In the confluence of reality and imagination, after the “Zero Day” or “Event Day”, life returns to the starting point before human civilization. The current research attempts to investigate spatio-temporality continuum in order to describe the represented spaces inspired by the author’s imagination. Based on spatio-temporality continuum which is one of Westphalian Geocriticism’s theoris, time and space are not independent of each other, but time is considered as a dimension of space. In the analysis of spatio-temporality, diachronic strata have been investigated in order to represent a more comprehensive geographic space. Relying on imaginary transgressivity, the mass of memories is becoming important in representing the geographic space of the novel through asynchronic strata. The dynamic relationship is formed between space and temporal strata. The continuous effort, knowledge and experience of The World before “Zero Day” to restore the post-apocalyptic Destopia and reach the Utopia indicate responsibility of Malevil’s residents.

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References

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Research in Contemporary World Literature
Volume 30, Issue 1
March 2025
Pages 157-181

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