Subverting the Metacolonialist Structures in Jess Walter's The Zero

Abstract

The article explores the ways in which Walter's novel The Zero subverts metacolonialist structures. Through an analysis of the media's dominance over the 9/11 discourse, it argues that Walter's novel challenges the mainstream media's schemes designed to direct the people's consciousness, thus serving political goals. Drawing on the metacolonial hypothesis and the propaganda model, the article offers a nuanced understanding of how The Zero engages with issues of narrative monopoly, commercialized grief, the manufacture of terror, and the rhetoric of exceptionalism. Ultimately, it is demonstrated that Walter's novel offers a powerful critique of the metacolonialist model and provides insights into the recent US power relations.