Negotiating Boundaries and Marking Contamination

This paper explores the concept of trans-corporeality in J.G. Ballard’s urban violence novel Cocaine Nights (1996) and utilises his earlier catastrophe novel The Drowned World (1962) as a supporting framework for interpreting female bodies as trans-corporeal spaces. The Drowned World centres around a lone female character who lives under a patriarchal regime, where she is moulded and suppressed within an androcentric world that parallels the catastrophic events unfolding on Earth. In Cocaine Nights, the female characters are exposed to urban violence resulting from the interaction between human and non-human entities, with their bodies serving as the site of contact. Drawing upon fourth-wave ecocriticism, the paper argues that the female bodies in Cocaine Nights challenge traditional notions of human autonomy and underscore the interconnectedness of all beings within the ecosystem. Through a detailed analysis of key scenes and characters, the paper demonstrates how these female bodies become spaces of negotiation and transformation, where the boundaries between human and non-human entities constantly shift. Additionally, the paper examines how the environments mark and impact the female bodies, leading to contamination and compromise through their experiences. By adopting a transcorporeal perspective, this research offers a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between human and non-human entities, emphasising the vital role of environmental factors in shaping our physical and emotional well-being. Keywords: trans-corporeality, female bodies, urban landscapes, environmental health, physical and emotional well-being

Art · Negotiation · Sociology · American and British Literature Analysis · Psychology