دراسات وأبحاث
Volume 18, Numéro 1, Pages 554-567
2026-01-15

Regressive Repose: Media And Instant Gratification In Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year Of Rest And Relaxation (2018)



Authors : Chabira Hanane .

Abstract

Ottessa Moshfegh’s novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation (2018) provides a scathing critique of a media-saturated society through the perspective of a nameless protagonist seeking a yearlong “hibernation” relying on pharmaceuticals and mindless media entertainment. This article examines the novel using Neil Postman’s theories in Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985), wherein he argues that contemporary media prioritises entertainment over substantive discourse, resulting in a mass cultural erosion. Through the lens of the protagonist’s addiction to television, VCRs, and prescription drugs, this study posits that Moshfegh's novel effectively illustrates Postman’s insights about the resultant dangers and perils of instant gratification. The novel’s satirical comments on alienation and apathy serve as a mirror for a broader cultural trend towards triviality found in Postman’s ideology of media ecology. This article's findings highlight the importance of Postman's analysis in comprehending the commodification of experiences as well as cultural deterioration through media studies and literary analysis.

Keywords

Culture ; Pharmaceuticals ; Instant Gratification ; Media ; Entertainment

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