Sam Shepard's States of Shock: Nihilism in Political Drama

Abstract

This article examines Sam Shepard’s States of Shock through the concept of nihilism, drawing on the ideas of Nietzsche and Turgenev. It traces the evolution of nihilism from its political origins to its existential dimensions in contemporary discourse. The study argues that the play reflects a collective condition of shock in American society, shaped by crisis and disillusionment. By linking individual trauma with broader social collapse, the article critiques the erosion of traditional values and presents a worldview in which meaning is contingent and unstable.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)