The Study On Consumerism In Thp Devil Wears Prada From The Perspective Of Spatial Criticism

Since its publication in 2003 and adaption into movie in 2006, The Devil Wears Prada has been under the spotlight. In the past decade, The Devil Wears Prada has been analyzed in different perspectives. It is not so much a reflection and expression of fashion culture, whose influence on the public attracts a lot of attention, as it is a manifestation of the values of the modern society. It reveals that, as the main stream of mass culture, consumerism and consumer culture continue to expand in the time of globalization and become part of the public’s daily life.The Devil Wears Prada describes the experience of a graduate working in Runway, a fashion magazine. It is a refraction of today’s society, especially of the penetration of consumer culture, which has been the issue scholars have been discussing about. However, the role of space plays in the indoctrination of consumer ideology has rarely been noted. Based on the previous studies and the spatiality in the The Devil Wears Prada, the author would like to analyze this work from the perspective of spatial criticism. According to Lefebvre’s ideas that space is full of ideology and space is a place of political battle, the author thinks that the wide practice of consumer culture and ideology is due to the fact that the space, in which we live, is already full of consumer culture and ideology. Based on the novel and the movie, combined with spatial theories of Lefebvre and other scholars, this paper mainly focuses on the role of space ideology to reveal how consumerism indoctrinates public’s ideology through space.This paper analyzes The Devil Wears Prada mainly from the perspective of physical space, social space and body space. The analysis of physical space focuses on the decoration, the evaluation and feelings of Runway office, banquets and Miranda’s houses. The analysis of the perspective of social space is mainly about how Runway uses its social relationships in Runway office and in parties to construct ideological indoctrination. The analysis of the body space focuses on how Runway indoctrinates consumerism ideology through human body as a kind of space. The analysis mainly goes to discipline from Miranda to the subordinates, the monitoring and seduction among Runway’s staff, and the attitudes and craving from Runway’s fans.This paper applies spatial theories to interpret and expose the indoctrination, penetration and manipulation of consumer culture and ideology to the public and their everyday life in The Devil Wears Prada. Through the analysis, the author hopes that when reading or watching The Devil Wears Prada, readers can pay some attention to the impact of consumerism on the public.