Metallurgic Matter(ing)s: Mirrored Mandalorian Metal-Scapes, Mining(s), and Mimesis

Abstract

This paper traverses the relationship between wo/man, metal, and the more-than-human world. Drawing for new materialisms, specifically Bennett’s (2004, 2009) notion of (metallurgic) thing-power and IJsseling’s (1997) conceptualization of mimesis, we entangle our (posthuman) perspectives with scenes from a popular science fiction show, The Mandalorian. Specifically, we are interested in how a fictional metal with extraordinary vibrant properties, known as beskar, reflects/mirrors aspects of identity articulation and formation for the show’s main protagonist, Din Djarin. Using a (mimetic) narrative approach, we constructed two composite narratives around two scenes depicting the aliveness of beskar in different ways. We also make an argument for the further interrogation into the way that metals are mined, manufactured, and manipulated and how these processes factor into the making and un-making of what it means to be human in a more-than-human world.