Date of Graduation
5-2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
English
Advisor/Mentor
Jolliffe, David
Committee Member/Reader
Connors, Sean
Committee Member/Second Reader
Long, Mary
Committee Member/Third Reader
Goodman-Strauss, Chaim
Abstract
In this honors thesis, I focus on young adult novels that highlight rather than minimize the experience of having a mental disability, and I argue that this topic must be included in education and book discussions in order to create more inclusive classrooms and communities. I examine representations of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and autism in popular young adult novels, paying special focus to the way characters represent the relationship between power and disability. After reading a wide range of novels from award-winning bestsellers to reviewers’ recommendations, I noted the frequency of topics such as identity, community, institutions, and romanticization of mental disabilities. Drawing on both disability studies and young adult literature studies, I posed specific analytical questions for each broad theme in order to examine the relationship between power and disability in seven selected novels. By providing a concrete approach through my conceptual framework, I hope to offer a firm foundation that can assist other readers in their own analyses of empowering representations of disability in young adult literature.
Citation
Dobbins, M. L. (2017). Disabled ≠ Disempowered: A Critical Framework for Analyzing the Representation of Mental Disabilities in Young Adult Literature. English Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/engluht/8
Included in
Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons, Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Reading and Language Commons