Dissertation
Crazy Stories and Unhinged Tropes: Portrayals of Mental Illness in Young Adult Literature
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2015
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/111729
Abstract
Young adult literature is aimed directly at adolescent readers and generally attempts to address the perceived real-life concerns and issues of that population. However, despite the fact that many adolescents live with mental illness, there are very few examples of YA literature that present accurate representations of the experience of living with a mental illness. This study examines problematic representations of mental illness and mental health care in young adult literature. Because this issue is complex, it requires an interdisciplinary approach in order to historicize and deconstruct these depictions.
Mental health care, particularly in regards to institutional care, is often presented as being dangerous, corrupt, and deadly. And while this stems directly from the dark history of mental health care, there is rarely acknowledgement that improvement has occurred. Generally, death is positioned as being preferable to living with mental illness or seeking professional care. This dissertation also explores common portrayals and uses of characters with mental illness in YA literature. I argue that people with mental illness are categorized as either those who can be saved (preferably through personal resolve rather than professional treatment) or those who cannot and are therefore disposable. In the latter, mental illness is a punishment for those who are violate social norms or standards in any way (particularly when it involves drug use or female sexuality). People with mental illness are presented as outcasts that should be avoided, feared, and condemned. I argue that the inclusion of accurate representations of mental illness has the potential to not only impact and influence young readers with or without mental health issues, but to educate the general population and perhaps lead to a more inclusive and humanized understanding of people with mental illness. Referencing authentic comic narratives, this dissertation concludes by proposing guidelines for representing mental illness and mental health needed to ensure such accuracy and authenticity.
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Details
- Title
- Crazy Stories and Unhinged Tropes: Portrayals of Mental Illness in Young Adult Literature
- Creators
- Sarah Katherine Thaller
- Contributors
- Carol Siegel (Advisor)Crag Hill (Committee Member)Jane Kelley (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- English, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 246
- Identifiers
- 99900581531601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation