Wall-E

Consumerism and the Destruction of Physical Spaces

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33043/DLR.13.1.70-80

Keywords:

consumerism, Wall-E, spatiality, physical space, human destruction, environment, sustainability, ecological, pollution

Abstract

In the Disney-Pixar film Wall-E, the abandoned Earth and detached humans serve as a reflection of our own society’s overconsumption and disregard for environmental responsibility, revealing the unrealistic and dangerous belief that our physical spaces can endlessly absorb our waste. Spatiality is the tool used by the film to show the destruction we produce on Earth through unsustainable patterns of consumption. This research essay analyzes how Wall-E exposes the spatial foundations and consequences of consumerism in the modern world. It considers the role of ecofilms like Wall-E in advocating for personal responsibility and prompting viewers to reduce consumption.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Cairns, John Jr. “Consumerism and the 21st Century.” VTechWorks Repository, Science and Society, , vol. 4, no. 1, 2006, pp. 25-32,https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/items/258bd65d-e397-4e32-be4c2d470742094c.

Caraway, Kylie, and Brett Caraway. “Representing Ecological Crises in Children’s Media: An Analysis of The Lorax and Wall-E.” Environmental Communication, Vol 14, No 5,, Jan. 2020, Taylor & Francis Online, www.tandfonline.com/doi abs/10.1080/17524032.2019.1710226.

Henderson, Kati. “‘Wall-E’ Reflection: When Robots Are Human and Humans Are Robots.” Ambiguously Human, Duke WordPress Site. 9 Mar. 2016.

Korfiatis, Konstantinos, et al. “Effects of Eco-Animations on Nine and Twelve Year Old Children’s Environmental Conceptions: How Wall-E Changed Young Spectators’ Views of Earth and Environmental Protection”, The Journal of Environmental Education, vol. 51, no. 5, 2020, pp. 381-394, https://research.ebsco.com/c/z6mk5z/viewer/pdf dkozpg7nxr?route=details.

Lefebvre, Henri. Production of Space, Blackwell, 1991,Translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith, https://transnationaleverydaylife.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/henri-lefebvre-the-production-of-space.pdf.

Orecchia, Carlo and Pietro Zoppoli, “Consumerism and Environment: Does Consumption Behaviour Affect Environmental Quality?” CEIS Working Paper No. 261, SSRN ELectronic Journal, 2007, https://ssrn.com/abstract=1719507.

Treadaway, Ashton. “The Loss of Humanity Through Consumerism in Wall-E,” Coastlines, vol. 1, no. 6, 2019, https://aquila.usm.edu/coastlines/vol1/iss6/5.

Zavattaro, Staci M. “We’ll See Who’s Powerless Now!” Using Wall-E to Teach Administrative Ethics,” Public Integrity, vol 24, no 7, 2021, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10999922.2021.1985344.

Downloads

Published

2026-04-10

How to Cite

Miller, M. (2026). Wall-E: Consumerism and the Destruction of Physical Spaces. Digital Literature Review, 13(1), 70–80. https://doi.org/10.33043/DLR.13.1.70-80