This thesis is an exploration of liminal teen agency in Heather O’Neill’s Lullabies for Little Criminals and Raziel Reid’s When Everything Feels Like the Movies. By focusing on two teen characters from working class families, one female, one queer, I investigate how teens assert their autonomy while still living under the constraints of classism and (hetero)sexism. While these teens are able to retain some form of autonomy, I argue that their agency is often obscured or overwritten by the disgust reactions of other characters in each novel. Drawing on affect theory, particularly Sara Ahmed’s body of work, Jonathan Dollimore, and Sianne Ngai, and drawing on Joan Sangster’s work on the construction of female delinquency, I investigate the significance of the disgust reaction, and how the reaction is a means of reasserting power over the willful, resistant teen body. As the Canada Reads competition reveals, the middle class, cis-hetero readerly discomfort with these novels becomes an avenue through which this literature is deemed “unpalatable,” providing a justification to doubt the testimony of narrators like Baby and Jude. This thesis is ultimately an intervention into doubted testimony, and demonstrates how affective disgust is the source of doubt. Since agency and testimony are tightly intertwined in each novel, doubting testimony becomes a violent form of denying these characters, and the authors, agency. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

This thesis contains the first two acts of a novel about a young girl named Isabeau Jones. After the mysterious drowning death of her mother, Isabeau attempts to find her place as a girl, as a student, as a preternaturally gifted baseball player and as an outsider in a rural East Texas community that does not look kindly on difference. Throughout the novel, Isabeau attempts to negotiate what it means to be female, academically ambitious, physically active and independent in a rural life that does not encourage such qualities in girls. While she navigates her tumultuous relationships with the men in her life, Isabeau also learns more and more about her mother and, eventually, she discovers for herself the kind of woman she can and wants to become.

The creative writing is preceded by a critical introduction that explores the history of the steampunk genre, the YA literature movement, and many novels and short stories in both genres. The critical introduction establishes genre guidelines and expectations, as well as provides examples for important qualities of the genre. The nature of the story required additional research into steam engines, WWI history, the RMS Olympic, tree climbing ascension techniques, and various other subjects. This informal research was used to improve the descriptions of technology in the creative work, as well as the naval terminology and battle tactics performed by steam powered ships before and during the first World War. Though not a historical novel, this information assists in building a believable steampunk world.

ABSTRACTThis thesis situates the Harry Potter books into the greater body of food studies and into the extant children's literary tradition through an examination of how food can be used to understand cultural identity. Food is a biological need, but because we have created social rules and rituals around food consumption and sharing, there is more to eating than simple nutritional value. The Harry Potter series is as much about overcoming childhood adversity, and good versus evil, as it is about magic, and food in the Harry Potter series is both abundant and relevant to the narrative, context, and themes of the books. Sweets such as candy, puddings, and cakes, help construct both wizard and Muggle identity in addition to serving as a bridge between readers and characters. How the characters use sweets to create and reinforce friendships or exclude those who do not belong is important, especially since children usually lack other cultural capital and, in their worlds, food is reward, treat, and punishment. Examples of this are shown in the scene where Harry first travels on the Hogwarts Express, in the ways the Dursleys deny Harry birthday celebrations, and in how holidays are celebrated by the witches and wizards in the series.The sharing of food in the novels builds tensions, creates bonds, and codes different characters as "acceptable" or "unacceptable" based on their willingness, or refusal, to share food. Teatime and feasting are examples of how food is shared by analogous and disparate groups of people in the series. Tea is served most often by those in subordinate positions of power, but is one way in which the characters can socialize and create community. Feasts at the beginning and end of the school term bookmark the year by immersing students and faculty into a shared world at first, and then by sending them back to their families, aware of their own triumphs and accomplishments. When feasts are used to unite outside groups, such as before the Triwizard Tournament, the ways that different foods are embraced or rejected serve to reinforce identity and inclusion.Using cultural studies methods in conjunction with food studies and Reader-Response critical theory, this thesis argues that food in the Harry Potter series represents the socially constructed identities of the characters within the texts, and also serves to bridge the gap between the readers and the characters.

The evolution and diversification of Young Adult literature (YA) in the last two decades have brought about significant changes, particularly in the representation of LGBT characters. Tropes have always been a staple in literature, but their use in YA has taken on a unique significance when it comes to LGBT representation. These tropes have developed in parallel with the political landscape of the USA and the rise of LGBT rights. In this context, the analysis of three popular YA series, Percy Jackson and The Olympians, The Mortal Instruments, and The Raven Cycle, and their respective sequels and spin-offs, becomes crucial. By examining the use of tropes and the treatment of LGBT characters in these series, we can better understand the changes that have occurred over time and the commonalities and differences among them. Moreover, this analysis will also shed light on aspects outside the novels that have contributed to these developments. While similar patterns emerge in all three series, each one handles LGBT topics differently, depending on the time of publication. Finally, we will also explore the current state of publishing and the role that communities play in shaping these popular series. By examining these issues, we can gain a better understanding of the role that literature plays in shaping our perceptions of LGBT individuals and the broader social context in which these works are produced.

No description available.

This essay revolves around Jay Asher’s novel Thirteen Reasons Why (2007) or in this case theSwedish translation Tretton skäl varför (2010). When it was published Asher’s novel was aninstant hit among its primary YA audience, but the novel caused a lot of debate and concernamong parents and adults. The purpose of this essay is to examine the possibilities of usingthe novel in Swedish classrooms, both as a work of literature popular among young adults andas a way of opening up discussions about its heavy themes, such as suicide and bullying. Inthe essay previous research on Thirteen Reasons Why. both the 2007 novel and the 2017Netflix-series adaption, is accounted for. Previous research on reading and the connectionsbetween reading, mental health and suicide, as well as its relevance in an educational context,is also described. Furthermore, Asher’s novel is summarized chapter by chapter and itsnarratology is explored and described. Finally, suggestions are made as to how teachers couldwork with the novel in their classrooms and the essay’s main points are summarized inthirteen reasons why it could be beneficial to work with Thirteen Reasons Why.

Jinnen är ett frekvent förekommande väsen i arabisk kultur och litteratur alltsedan förislamsk tid. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie är att undersöka hur jinnerna beskrivs och representeras i Fenixtrilogin av Sonia Nimr. Deras narrativa och litterära funktioner i böckerna relateras till deras representation och funktion i arabisk kultur och i ungdomsfantasy. Mieke Bals klassifikation av roller i en narrativ cykel används i analysen. Resultatet är att jinnen har en stark koppling till den klassiska bilden av en jinn i arabisk litteratur och kultur, men att några detaljer skiljer sig. Mest framträdande är jinnens entydigt goda egenskaper och funktioner i berättelsen. Slutsatsen är att trilogin ligger tydligt i linje med annan fantasylitteratur för ungdomar, men att jinnen har en unik roll som hjälpare eller god kraft. Den får i och med det en tydlig pedagogisk roll, i linje med barn- och ungdomslitteraturen. / The jinn is a frequently occurring entity in Arabic culture and literature since pre-Islamic times. The purpose of this literature study is to examine how the jinn are described and represented in the Thunderbird trilogy by Sonia Nimr. Their narrative and literary functions in the books relate to their representation and function in Arab culture and in young adult fantasy. Mieke Bal’s classification of roles in the narrative cycle is used in the analysis. The result is that the jinn bears a strong resemblance to the classical image of a jinn in Arabic literature and culture, but that some details differ. Most prominent are the jinn’s unambiguously good qualities and functions in the story. The conclusion is that the trilogy is clearly in line with other fantasy literature for young adults, but that the jinn has a unique role as a helper or as the good power. It therefore has a clear pedagogical role in line with children’s literature and Young Adult literature.

Jinnen är ett frekvent förekommande väsen i arabisk kultur och litteratur alltsedan förislamsk tid. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie är att undersöka hur jinnerna beskrivs och representeras i Fenixtrilogin av Sonia Nimr. Deras narrativa och litterära funktioner i böckerna relateras till deras representation och funktion i arabisk kultur och i ungdomsfantasy. Mieke Bals klassifikation av roller i en narrativ cykel används i analysen. Resultatet är att jinnen har en stark koppling till den klassiska bilden av en jinn i arabisk litteratur och kultur, men att några detaljer skiljer sig. Mest framträdande är jinnens entydigt goda egenskaper och funktioner i berättelsen. Slutsatsen är att trilogin ligger tydligt i linje med annan fantasylitteratur för ungdomar, men att jinnen har en unik roll som hjälpare eller god kraft. Den får i och med det en tydlig pedagogisk roll, i linje med barn- och ungdomslitteraturen. / The jinn is a frequently occurring entity in Arabic culture and literature since pre-Islamic times. The purpose of this literature study is to examine how the jinn are described and represented in the Thunderbird trilogy by Sonia Nimr. Their narrative and literary functions in the books relate to their representation and function in Arab culture and in young adult fantasy. Mieke Bal’s classification of roles in the narrative cycle is used in the analysis. The result is that the jinn bears a strong resemblance to the classical image of a jinn in Arabic literature and culture, but that some details differ. Most prominent are the jinn’s unambiguously good qualities and functions in the story. The conclusion is that the trilogy is clearly in line with other fantasy literature for young adults, but that the jinn has a unique role as a helper or as the good power. It therefore has a clear pedagogical role in line with children’s literature and Young Adult literature.

Previous studies on Cecily von Ziegesar's series Gossip Girl fail to explain the functionality of the series for the actual readers. Therefore, a discussion of the relationship between reader and text is necessary. By explaining from a literary perspective how reader and text interact, we can better understand why teen girls want to read the series and the exchanges that occur between the books and the readers. An exploration of how Gossip Girl relates to its series predecessors, like Nancy Drew, demonstrates how the popularity of Gossip Girl is not unique, but rather fits in with the established series pattern while receiving the same harsh criticism. As a result of analyzing the "bad" reputation Gossip Girl has earned, we can explicate how the series is currently seen to operate for the reader, questions left open when simply looking at series books historically. This exploration of the books as carriers of ideology examines how and if readers are invited to participate in a relationship with the text. However, simple reader-response theories only replicate a static relationship between reader and text. By also using a Deleuzo-Guattarian approach to the series, an understanding of how Gossip Girl acts as an "apparatus of capture" built on social conditions while still allowing the reader minimal agency for the channeling of energy/desiring flows can be found. These approaches work in conjunction in order to address the engagement readers experience with the Gossip Girl texts, which, in turn, help elucidate the phenomenon associated with von Ziegesar's books. / Master of Arts