The Representation of Gender Identity in Children's Literature: in David Walliams’ The Boy in the Dress and John Boyne's My Brother’s Name is Jessica.
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2024-06-15
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en
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In this thesis, I will explore the representation of gender identity in two works of children’s literature, namely David Walliams' The Boy in the Dress (2008) and John Boyne's My Brother’s Name is Jessica (2019). I will investigate how David Walliams and John Boyne represent their gender non-conformative characters in the works above. This is significant because both literary works received mixed reviews about their use of gender identity. The Boy in the Dress faced criticism for inconsistencies in its tone, depicting cross-dressing as a temporary act. Reviewers say this might be dismissive of deeper gender identity issues. In addition, My Brother’s Name is Jessica has faced a lot of backlash, saying it perpetuates transphobic stereotypes and fails to capture the reality of the transgender experience, mainly through the problematic use of misgendering and deadnaming. For this thesis, I will do a content analysis based on the theories of Judith Butler, Raewyn Connel, Victoria Flanagan, and Lawrence Kohlberg. I argue that while both novels offer inclusive representations, they ultimately reinforce traditional gender norms and highlight the constraints imposed by societal expectations.
Keywords: Children’s Literature, Cross-Dressing
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