An Analysis Of Jupiter's 'Head Of The Abrasax'

Jupiter learns that her previous incarnation had been killed and she was the mother of three children, all of whom have begun fighting over her possessions. She meets Kalique, the first of the three siblings. Kalique places her own beauty above all and, to Jupiter’s horror, does not care for the cost of the serum. She also expresses her wish to help Jupiter regain her title as the head of the Abrasax, but only because it decreases her other siblings’ power and value and in doing so, increases her own. Kalique operates under the neoliberal idea of prolonging her own life and value at the expense of those below her who do not possess the same resources and value. Through Kalique, one can once again see a model of homo oeconomicus acting according

Kalique sees herself as simply investing in her foremost investment, her body, so that she may possess the most important commodity, time.

The second sibling Jupiter meets is Titus. He asks Jupiter for her hand in marriage, despite the fact that they are mother and son. He tells her that in marrying her, he will be able to achieve the same ends that she desires- to end the destruction of planets, including Earth, and the heinous Abrasax tradition of harvesting lives. Jupiter accepts Titus’s proposal as she believes she will be saving Earth from destruction. However, it is later revealed that Titus has lied to Jupiter and his true mission is to steal the Earth so he may be the most wealthy and powerful Abrasax. In true neoliberal style, his ultimate goal is to pursue his own interest of expanding his own power and value. Titus, as homo oeconomicus, is willing to violate ethical and moral rules – those that forbid marriage between parent and child – in order to pursue his interest. In their universe, the governmentality is one in which the proper conduct is one that is economic and unethical. The acceptable conduct is one that allows all subjects to increase

It is better to accept this than to pretend that it isn 't true” (Wachowski and Wachowski). In this case, the rich and wealthy’s lives are important and those who are not are insignificant and subject to consumption by the wealthy. This is the way the market is seen to function and one can act in any way one wishes in order to function within it. To pretend that it can function in any other way means struggle and war, as Jupiter and her peers must do. This once again falls under the “market-in-the-gaps” – death and destruction of humans as by-products of the neoliberal market is just the way everything operates. Under neoliberal governance, the “the best practice” is one that effectively delivers one to capital and positional improvement (Brown). Governance is concerned with the environment, constraints, and tools that are created or used in order to achieve neoliberal goals. As a result of neoliberal governance, as Brown states, the political and ethical – i.e. equality or justice – are eliminated from discussion in favour of only what is deemed to be practical to achieve one’s goal. Governance through “best practices” consolidates goals of all institutions and subjects into economic and market values and eradicates all other aims that do not fall in line to the market rationality. Jupiter and Caine are attacked and hunted by the Abrasax