This thesis explores the concept of love in the postmodern era from the perspective of Jean Baudrillard’s theory of simulacra and simulation. The theoretical part of the thesis begins with a definition of Baudrillard’s simulacra and how they can be applied to postmodern love, continuing with a look into the role of fairy tales and early pop culture in the conceptualisation of romantic love. The focus of the analytical part is Michael Cunningham’s 1998 novel The Hours and its 2002 film adaptation by Stephen Daldry. This work is of particular interest to the discussion of love in terms of simulacra as the different romantic relationships depicted in it are all affected by various degrees of love-related simulacra, often leading to a comprehension, questioning and even dismantling of said simulacra. The Hours does an excellent job at pinpointing some of the complex issues in postmodern romantic relationships, demystifying them and providing viable alternatives to the socially constructed notions of what love and romance should look like.
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