ASYMMETRY OF FREEDOM. Dave Eggers’ Critique of Neoliberalism’s Abuse of the Discourse of Liberty
ASYMMETRY OF FREEDOM. Dave Eggers’ Critique of Neoliberalism’s Abuse of the Discourse of Liberty

Summary/Abstract: The article focuses on the discursive use of freedom in the contextof neoliberal capitalism in Dave Eggers’ The Circle, A Hologram for the Kingand The Every. Taking into account the importance of this concept in the contextof the American history and national identity, it argues that despite claimsthat this form of capitalism promotes freedom, it actually privileges economicfreedom over personal and political liberties, leading to the rise of inequalitiesalready prophesized by Alexis de Tocqueville. In this context A Hologramfor the King emphasizes the discord between the promise of neoliberalismand its practical implementation, which reveals that rather than promotefreedom, this form of capitalism establishes structural barriers that obstructsocial mobility. With regard to The Circle and The Every, the article analyzeshow the eponymous company draws on ideals of freedom in order not onlyto increase their revenue and monopolize the market, but also establish a digitalpanopticon that infringes on personal freedoms and privacy, even thoughthe companies themselves operate in secrecy.

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