Emergence of the "Fragmented" Society

“The novel describes a highly fragmented postmodern social world in which, following the decomposition of the metaphysics of Eurocentric temporality, many people have only partial, photographic access to their history, and these isolated strands of history entangle themselves until they are finally set into motion in a collapsing universe” (Irr).

Both Almanac of the Dead and Bedwin Hacker demonstrate the emergence of “fragmented” societies. What we see in both is a world in which the “Eurocentric” nationalist world has decomposed to the point where the fragmented societies can exercise significant power.

In Almanac of the Dead the Native American remnants, begin to retake some power from the white institutions which have traditionally subjugated them. "A day would come as had not been seen in five thousand years. On this day, a conjunction would occur; everywhere at once, spontaneously, the prisoners, the slaves, and the dispossessed would rise up. The urge to rise up would come to them through their dreams. All at once, all over the world, police and soldiers would be outnumbered” (Silko 616). We witness the reversal of fortunes mentioned in lore.

In Bedwin hacker, the future very literally equalizes the 1^st and 3^rd world. Kalt is capable of disrupting life in the 1^st world by hacking. Her message -- “in the third millennium there are other people…other lives…” – clearly shows the emergence of fragmented societies, particularly the Arab world, which is stereotypically anti-technology. Kalt threatens 'modern' society because she has power outside the normal channels.