Cyberviolence and Cyberbodies: Exploration of Gender Based Violence in Neuromancer

The transformative power of technology has catapulted humanity into another dimension, freeing them from dogmatic thinking and retrogressive practices. Neuromancer, novel written by William Gibson in 1984, was the first prophetic attempt to venture into the dark side of technological rise. The following research work probes into the highest levels of Gender Based Violence in the virtual world in Neuromancer and uses the protagonist Molly, one of the 'Razor Girls,' as a case in point. Textual analysis methodologyis carried out on Neuromancer's narrative. The character of Molly was deconstructed through feminist and posthumanist lenses to find the themes and patterns of Gender Based Violence. Throughout the analysis, the intersections of technology, power, and gender are considered.These presented very extensive manifestations of Gender Based Violence within the digital domain in Neucomancer. The findings reveal that Neuromancer critiques technological narratives perpetuating Gender Based Violence. Molly's cyberbody is 'leakable' and vulnerable to manipulation and surveillance-a site of digital violence. The novel indicates the intersection of technology and patriarchal structures of power. It contributes to the understanding of Gender Based Violence in digital spaces by underlining the critical examination of technological narratives. Neuromancer, therefore, stands as a warning that technology might further worsen the current power imbalance. The study calls for an inclusive digital space and re-emphasizes the importance of a feminist perspective in analyzing cyber violence. Based on Molly's account, the current research tries to develop a deeper understanding of technology-gender-power interaction.

Keywords: Gender-Based Violence, Neuromancer, Digital Spaces, Feminist Critique, Posthumanism.