Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant (2017) as a Testament of Anti-anthropocentrism in Shelley’s Ozymandias (1818)

Abstract

This paper intends to explore the element of anti-anthropocentrism in PB Shelley’s Ozymandias with respect to its due adaptation to the apocalyptic movie, Alien:Covenant by Ridley Scott. The eco-centric concept of anti-anthropocentrism, which is a strong reaction against the blindness of the credential concept of anthropocentrism, is thoroughly discussed in the paper. It attempts an anti-humanocentric reading of the poem, parallel to the character of David in the movie, which stands as a perfect embodiment of the concept. Shelley who was only called as a philanthropist is here read as an anti-anthropocentrist for his movement against the nonchalant dispositions of the human race in the fleeting world, while being a philanthropist at the same time. The position of the poem in the movie is both symbolic as well as ironic. Initially, the hubristic humans represent Ozymandias which is later taken up by David, the disloyal android in the movie, thereby delving into the sundry surfaces of the same concept. The movie, Alien:Covenant is taken as a canvas to dig into the crux of anti-anthropocentrism in Ozymandias.