Author(s): Erin Atkinson
Mentor(s):
Institution SUU
While there is a prevalent philosophy that state and religion are kept separate, this paper argues that they remain interconnected, particularly through corrupt individuals driven by economic gain. Government support for religion inevitably leads to political agendas being embedded within the former, and works of literature have been able to depict this enmeshment. I analyze how the two bodies are ingrained into a nation’s framework by examining Hiromu Arakawa’s visual narrative Fullmetal Alchemist and the economic principle of “equivalent exchange.” The comic follows two characters who sacrifice parts of their bodies in pursuit of uncovering the truth about alchemical powers and government interference. Their journey, along with the story’s central deception, forms a larger metaphor for political instability and the lengths to which leaders go to secure power–such as transmuting an immortal being by sacrificing minority groups. With a strong focus on paying off debts, I explore the impact of alchemy’s greatest law, which asserts that something of equal value must be exchanged to create anything new. Using Marxist and disability theory, I discuss in my paper how marginalized groups–such as those disabled by industrial exploitation or war–are forced to rely on religion in the absence of sufficient resources from the state. Fullmetal Alchemist uses both examples of victims of state and industrial neglect, emphasizing an expectation that they will maintain undying loyalty or face death. This depiction of fascism comments on how minority groups are trapped within a system where their homes become their coffins. In my presentation, I propose that religion and state are indivisible within a Marxist economy, as marginalized populations cannot ascend the social hierarchy. While these groups attempt to find hope in religion, the alchemists in Arakawa’s work exemplify an atheist perspective on the inseparability of religion and state. My paper ultimately argues that Fullmetal Alchemist abides by the speculative laws of alchemy, necessitating the disregard of principles and inspiring a subversive spirit of vigilantism.