LANGUAGE AS A VIRUS OF THE MIND: THE THINKING AND WRITING OF W. S. BURROUGHS

• Název práce v češtině: JAZYK JAKO VIRUS MYSLI: SMÝŠLENÍ A PSANÍ W. S. BURROUGHSE
• Název v anglickém jazyce: LANGUAGE AS A VIRUS OF THE MIND: THE THINKING AND WRITING OF W. S. BURROUGHS
• Klíčová slova: jazyk|virus|Burroughs|média|metoda cut-up
• Klíčová slova anglicky: language|virus|Burroughs|media|cut-up method
• Akademický rok vypsání: 2022/2023
• Typ práce: bakalářská práce
• Jazyk práce: angličtina
• Ústav: Ústav anglofonních literatur a kultur (21-UALK)
• Vedoucí / školitel: Mgr. David Vichnar, Ph.D.
• Řešitel: skrytý - zadáno a potvrzeno stud. odd.
• Datum přihlášení: 20.03.2023
• Datum zadání: 20.03.2023
• Schválení administrátorem: bylo schváleno
• Datum potvrzení stud. oddělením: 30.03.2023
• Datum a čas obhajoby: 31.01.2024 09:00
• Datum odevzdání elektronické podoby: 02.01.2024
• Odevzdaná/finalizovaná: odevzdaná studentem
• Oponenti: doc. Erik Sherman Roraback, D.Phil.

Zásady pro vypracování

The Electronic Revolution is a collection of essays and articles by W. S. Burroughs, an American writer, artist, and cultural icon. Published in 1970, the texts are a response to the rapid technological advancements of the time, particularly in the field of electronic communication.
One of the central themes of The Electronic Revolution is the notion of technology ha ving the power to transform society. Burroughs was fascinated by the possibilities of electronic communication, which he saw as a way to shatter barriers between people and create a more connected, global community. He believed that the rise of electronic media would lead to a new era of human consciousness, one in which people would be able to communicate and exchange ideas on a scale never before seen. Another key theme of The Electronic Revolution is Burroughs' fascination with the human mind and its relationship to technology. He was interested in the way that electronic media could be used to alter human consciousness, and explored the potential of technologies such as brain implants to create new states of consciousness and expand human capabilities.
Burroughs, however, also explored the darker side of the electronic revolution. He was concerned that electronic media could be used as a tool of control and manipulation by governments and corporations. He saw the potential for electronic media to be used to shape public opinion and control the flow of information, leading to a world in which people were not truly free to think and act for themselves. Burroughs was also deeply critical of the mainstream media, which he saw as a tool of propaganda and mind control. He believed that the rise of electronic media would provide an opportunity for alternative voices and viewpoints to be heard, and that this would be essential for the creation of a truly democratic society.
In this particular essay, the author came up with a notion that later budded into a statement that is very unique from a linguistic point-of-view. The statement, of course, is: "language is a virus". On its own, this expression is very vague, unscientific and almost nonsensical. However, when taken into context with the author´s life, works, personal opinions and the situation that was taking place in the USA at the time, the claim begins to unravel. And that, essentially, is the goal of this thesis. According to Burroughs, language is a virus that invades and replicates in the mind, shaping our thoughts and behaviors. He suggests that the use of language can be seen as a form of mind control, with words and phrases acting as programming code to direct our actions and beliefs. This notion is rooted in Burroughs' own experience of drug addiction and his interest in the nature of control and manipulation. Burroughs' essay touches on a range of topics, from the history of language to the political and social implications of its use. He explores the idea that language is used to construct and maintain power structures, and that it can be used as a tool for both oppression and liberation.
In the first chapters of my thesis, I would like present the theoretical framework of the thesis, that is the theories of the mass media in the sixties, which environment they created and how it all ties to the viral properties of the language. The second chapter will delve more deeply into Burroughs' essays that are paramount for the topic at hand, in particular "The Electronic Revolution and "Ten Years and a Billion Dollars", with focus on their key concepts, their definition of the electronic revolution and its historical and literary background, as well as an analysis of the significance of Burroughs' ideas in relation to the broader context of the electronic revolution. In the third chapter, the theory of language being a viral force shall be scrutinized, and research as whether it actually could be a credible theory shall be provided. Language and viruses share many similar traits and patterns of behaviour and these patterns and traits shall bet the main focus of the last and most important of the chapters.

Seznam odborné literatury

Burroughs, William S. Junky. New York: Penguin Books, 1977.

Odier, Daniel. The Job: Interviews with William S. Burroughs. New York: Penguin Books, 1989.

Burroughs, William S. Naked Lunch. New York: Grove Press, 1962.

Burroughs, William S. The Letters of William S. Burroughs. Edited by Oliver Harris. New York: Penguins Books, 1994.

Burroughs, William S. The Adding Machine: Selected Essays. New York: Seaver Books, 1986.

Severo, Richard. “William S. Burroughs, the Beat Writer Who Distilled His Raw Nightmare Life, Dies at 83,” New York Times, August 4, 1997.

Burroughs, William S. Queer. New York: Penguin Books, 1987.

Morgan, Ted. Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs. New York: H. Holt, 1988.

Burroughs, William S. Last Words: The Final Journals of William S. Burroughs. Edited by James Grauerholz. New York: Grove Press, 2000.

Wilson, Meagan. “Your Reputation Precedes You: A Reception Study of Naked Lunch.” Journal of Modern Literature 35.2 (2012): 98–125. Project Muse. Web. 19 Feb. 2018. https:// doi.org/10.2979/jmodelite.35.2.98.

Burroughs, William S. "The Revised Boy Scout Manual”: An Electronic Revolution. Edited by Geoffrey D. Smith et al. Columbus: The Ohio State University Press, 2018.

Burroughs, William S. The Electronic Revolution. Originally published in 1970 by Expanded Media Editions, reissued by Ubuclassics, 2005. (online) https://www.swissinstitute.net/2001-

Mottram, Eric A. William Burroughs: The Algebra of Need. Buffalo: Intrepid Press, 1971.

Lydenberg, Robin. Word Cultures: Radical Theory and Practice in William S. Burroughs' Fiction. Urbana: University of illinois Press, 1987.