Identity and Digital Self in Jennifer Haley’s The Nether: A Posthumanist Study

The paper examines the impact of technology on human identity with a particular focus on Jennifer Haley's play The Nether. It portrays the ethical and psychological implications resulting from the connections between both the physical and the digital worlds. This study adopts the theoretical framework of posthumanism, drawing on N. Katherine Hayles's concept of the posthuman subject. It aims to challenge the humanist views that consider humans as the center of the universe. Instead, technology comes to prove that humans are no longer considered as single and autonomous beings. The study argues that humans invented technology, and it plays a major role in their lives nowadays. Through analyzing The Nether, the paper shows how difficult it becomes to distinguish between real and virtual as the boundaries turn out to be completely blurred. The paper questions how the interaction between humans and technology alters the notions of identity, embodiment, agency, and perceptions. By delving into the characters experiences, the study focuses on how the characters become posthuman or cyborg-like figures.
The paper concludes by highlighting the dangers behind merging both humans and digital technologies. Ultimately, it warns the audience in tech theatre of the negative impacts of technology and its ethical and psychological dilemmas.