Post-Industrial Consumer Culture And Hyperreality: A Study Of Delillo’s

Abstract

Jean Baudrillard argues that our world is entrenched in an obsession with the hyperreal, where simulations and imitations have eclipsed the authenticity of reality itself. This hyperreality manifests distinctly within consumer culture, where products and brands are infused with symbolic meanings that transcend their practical utility. In this context, consumer goods metamorphose into symbols of identity, status and aspirations, profoundly shaping our perception of the world. This study explores the hyperreality of consumer culture to understand the superficiality of human connections with the globe and examines the relationship between consumerism and globalization, which orchestrates transformative changes across cultural landscapes and societal foundations. Jean Baudrillard, in Simulacra and Simulation (1981), explores how consumerism has created a culture of simulation and hyperreality. This study explores the riddle of postmodern/post-industrial society. Don DeLillo’s Cosmopolis as a case highlights the misconceptions projected by consumer culture and reveals how people become entangled in the inspired attraction of consumer culture, blurring the distinction between genuine desires and manufactured ones.