The Multiverse and the Fragmented Asian American Experience

By Austin Kang

This thesis examines the ways in which the 2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once

(2022) employs the philosophical ideas concomitant with the multiverse hypothesis in order to

narrate an emotionally poignant, yet somewhat typical story about a multi-generational Asian

American family. This thesis argues that the film uses its characters as vehicles to not only

illustrate the multilayered nature of Asian American realities through the allegory of "auto versejumping"

across the multiverse, but also to philosophically contemplate and respond to the

existence of the multiverse via its presentation of conceptual parallels. The film employs the

hypothetical existence of the multiverse-the multiverse hypothesis-as a means to delve into

the Asian American immigrant experience, focusing specifically on Evelyn and Joy as

representations of the first- and second-generation Asian American experiences. These characters

are intrinsically tied to the philosophies of nihilism, free-will/determinism as seen through the

lens of Leibniz's "Best of All Possible Worlds," and Taoism. Within this framework, this thesis

underscores the significance of the aesthetics and iconography that present the synergy between

the multiverse experiences and the Asian American in-betweenness: the fluctuations across

different aspect ratios to present alternative universes; a highly stylized form of split screen to

express fragmented consciousness; the use of diverse Chinese dialects to signify generational

differences, and the significance of the icons attributed to Evelyn (googly eye), Joy (everything

bagel), and Waymond (cookie).

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0CPTBNYM7
• ISBN13: 9798869049339
• Release Date: November 2023
• Publisher: Junglee
• Length: 54 Pages
• Weight: 0.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"