Infestacja umysłu. O immanentnej potworności i wieloaspektowym wykluczeniu insektów na przykładzie Robaka Williama Friedkina

This article explores the anxiety-inducing potential of insects, which are characterized by an inherent monstrosity and a paradoxical status of being both “excessively animalistic” and “insufficiently animalistic.” By examining the role of insects in horror cinema and offering an ecocritical reading of Bug, the analysis reveals that the use of insects to illustrate paranoia and fear reinforces the multifaceted exclusion of non-human beings within the anthropocentric paradigm. A reflection on William Friedkin’s film allows for the proposal of strategies through which a cultural text can effectively evoke unease and address themes of conspiracy, delusion, and surveillance anxiety – without perpetuating the oppression of insects or reinforcing their subordinate position within a hierarchical, dualistic order.