MAKAI PÉTER KRISTÓF BRIDGING THE EMPATHY GAP: REPRESENTING NEUROLOGICAL DIFFERENCE IN CONTEMPORARY AUTISM NOVELS Supervisors: Kérchy Anna and Cristian Réka Mónika 2015 University of Szeged Faculty of Arts Doctoral School for Literary Studies Anglophone Literatures and Cultures in Europe and North America programme (2011-2014) - 1 - Dedicated to the loving memory of Gálik Julianna Katalin (1990-2013), and her RuneScape character, Tavarisu B, the best Dungeoneering partner one could ask for. We shall respawn. - 2 - TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 2 Personal Preface: How I Got Here .................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 1 – Introduction: Literature, Science and The Humanities Meet Autism ....................... 11 Chapter 2 – The Use of Consilient Literary Interpretation in Reading the Autism Novel ........... 27 Chapter 3 – Autism’s Career in Psychology: Lighting Candles in A Dark Maze ........................ 37 Chapter 4 – Autism as Disability: Critical Studies of the Condition ............................................ 53 Chapter 5 – The Travelling Concept of ‘Theory of Mind’ in Philosophy, Psychology, Literary Studies and its Relation to Autism ................................................................................................ 75 Chapter 6 – Contextualising the Autism Novel in Contemporary Culture: Constructing Fascinating Narratives ................................................................................................................ 108 Chapter 7 – The Curious Emergence of the Neurological Other at the Turn of the Millennium: Mark Haddon’s Representation of the Autistic Mind ................................................................. 119 Chapter 8 – Thinking at the Speed of Dark: Elizabeth Moon’s Lessons in Bioethics and Normativity ................................................................................................................................. 150 Chapter 9 – Vulnerable Minds: Claire Morrall’s Novel of Neurocosmopolitanism and Nurturing a Nerdy Next Generation ............................................................................................................ 185 Chapter 10 – Reaching out, beyond empathetic boundaries: Jodi Picoult’s Optimism about Mind-reading, Agency and Authorship ...................................................................................... 214 Chapter 11 – Final Observations and Closing Remarks ............................................................. 236 Glossary and Common Abbreviations ........................................................................................ 251 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 254 - 1 - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS No scholar is an island, even though they often seem to be, huddled in the corner of some library, poring over obscure passages, or sitting in front of the computer in the middle of the night, typing at a frantic pace to finish that research paper without any distractions. I myself must have looked like quite a long peninsula these last four years as I mused, ruminated, cogitated, researched, stumbled, enthused and conversed about my topic, then stuttered, presented, wrote and edited the words that would become the dissertation you now hold in your hands, Gentle Reader. This wouldn’t have come about without an army of people who have helped me along the way. First, I must thank the strong emotional and generous financial support I had from my parents. Without their enthusiasm at the prospect of my independence, I couldn’t have studied in Szeged, in the city that grew so close to my heart, the home of many scholarly friends, great tea- rooms and cheap pubs, lush green parks and mouth-wateringly delicious Serbian cuisine. Their financial support allowed me to rent my own flat, free from the noise and squalor of dormitories, where I could learn to use the kitchen and how to keep a house tidy. I have visited many conferences abroad, studied in West Virginia for half a year and participated in the School of Criticism and Theory’s 2013 session at Cornell in Ithaca, NY. For my time spent at the SCT, I have also received a scholarship from Campus Hungary, the Balassi Institute’s scholarship program, now sadly cancelled, along with many other sources of research funding. My wholehearted scholarly thanks must go to my supervisors, Kérchy Anna and Cristian Réka, for the many thrilling lectures and seminars which inspired me to pursue this career and object of study. They were very generous with their time and attention, producing a voluminous correspondence over the years I will remember fondly. Their enthusiasm about my project, their comments and criticism were invaluable to me in conceptualising the dissertation and helped me to avoid the pitfalls and dead-ends which can beset the graduate student in writing a scholarly work this large. Marginalia were never as entertaining, or as insightful, as those meticulous, curly letters snaking about in verbose lines on the edge of my papers. Many happy unbirthdays to you! Credit is due to the unwavering work of instruction carried out by the other professors at the University of Szeged’s Institute of English and American Studies, most notably Gergely Nagy, Zoltán Dragon and Pál Hegyi, who have suggested at some time or another to publish papers in journals I was scared to submit my writings to. They have also supervised my MA, my BA Thesis - 2 - and my first academic paper, respectively. They have given me confidence that I can express myself in clear academic English and make original points, worthy of other scholars’ attention. But, in all earnestness, the whole faculty has contributed in less perceptible ways to my academic growth, and I am eternally thankful to have shared a building and an institute with them. Mutual suffering strengthens friendship, and the camaraderie I have built up with my fellow students from the BA years onward was unlike anything I have experienced before. You were my first peer community I felt comfortable in since I got into the educational system at 3, and it shows. I remember the many, many hours exchanging notes, photocopies, borrowing library books, preparing for exams, complaining about assignments, worrying about grades, partying, sobering up, laughing, hosting smaller get-togethers and just enjoying the university students’ life. I will not be able to name each and every one of you, but you all matter. Nonetheless, named thanks go to Rédl Zora, Zakar Szabina, Orodán Mihály, Suhajda Annamária, Szarvas Csilla, Frolyó Anett, Dávid Orsolya (for that special vote of confidence), Nagy-Czirok Orsolya, Gábriel Zsófia, Beján Gábor, Sallai Judit, Drávucz Orsolya, Kunyi Szuzanna, Czepó Zsuzsanna and I am sure there are many others with whom I have developed at least passing friendship over the years. I would like to especially thank Tábi Emőke for the many relaxing walks we shared in awkward silence, broken by occasional probing questions. A separate thank-you is in order for all the guys and gals who made it to the PhD program, who shared an office (plus griping over the many assignments and requirements) with me and with whom I have attended several conferences, so thank you, Farmasi Lilla, Ótott Márta, Kelemen Zsolt, Mócza Attila, Tóth Zsuzsanna, Kulcsár Zsófia, Bató Ágnes, Bálint Emma, Sütő Zsuzsa, Berze András, Misits Éva and Tóth Gabriella. I had a wonderful time, many, many happy memories and cups of tea with you. Never stop being awesome. My research has been aided by several scholars and staff members at other universities, either with their instructions or by sharing their research and resources with me. Kelly Diamond, a librarian at West Virginia University has been a godsend, helping me to track down elusive papers the Hungarian libraries do not have access to due to a lack of proper funding. Without you, this wouldn’t have been the same dissertation. Benczik Vera from ELTE was also kind enough to call my attention to a plethora of interesting papers published on autism in several journals — if you don’t find them cited here, it’s not your fault, and I enjoyed every one of them. Jeffrey L. Saver sent me his co-authored paper on the neurology of narrative, and deserves a ‘thank you’ for it. Nick Lord and Facundo Vega have also provided a way into access-restricted journals from the - 3 - other side of the globe, sometimes at inconvenient hours. For that, they have my gratitude. This dissertation has been greatly enhanced by the Weltanschauung of SCT, and my six- week seminar leader, Michael Bérubé’s ebullient, glowing enthusiasm and rapid-fire delivery of ideas, anecdotes and views on “Narrative, Intellectual Disability and the Boundaries of the Human.” Our shared interest in Philip K. Dick and evolutionary psychology (a spirited critique on his part) were the reasons why I went to Ithaca in the first place. Thank you for supporting my research with your private consultations and personal quips, but also for introducing me to Jamie. He’s a cool kid. Several rounds of thanks are due to my fellow SCTers, especially Thea Sircar, Sandra Danilovic, Leon Hilton, Lenora Hanson, Jess Wagoner, Connor Pitetti, Julia Cohen, Roy Scranton, Angie Bennett Segler, Johanna Heil and Hannah Gould for the company and the discussions after seminars