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Systemic Oppression in Children's Portal-Quest

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Systemic Oppression in Children's Portal-Quest Systemic Oppression in Children’s Portal-Quest Fantasy Literature by Christopher Owen B.A. (Hons), Wilfrid Laurier University, 2013 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Children's Literature) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) April 2015 © Christopher Owen, 2015 Abstract This thesis investigates the representation of systemic oppression in Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Employing Foucauldian poststructuralism and critical discourse analysis, this research identifies how the social systems of the fantasy texts construct hierarchies based on race and gender, and social norms based on sexuality and disability. Privilege and oppression are identified as the results of the relaying of power relations by social institutions through strategies such as dominant discourses. This study questions the historically understood role of children’s and fantasy literature as socialization tools, and the potential negative consequences of this. ii Preface This Master of Arts thesis is an original, unpublished, independent work of the author, Christopher Owen, as a partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts in Children’s Literature Program at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Eric Meyers of the University of British Columbia’s School of Library, Archival and Information Studies supervised the writing of this thesis. Drs. Theresa Rogers and Rick Gooding, of the Language and Literacy Education and English Departments at the University of British Columbia respectively, acted as second readers. I will present portions of this research at the International Research Society in Children’s Literature 22nd Biennial Congress, “Creating Childhoods” at the University of Worcester, in the United Kingdom in August 2015. I also intend to further this research with a PhD dissertation. iii Table of Contents Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... ii Preface ....................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents .................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... vii Dedication .............................................................................................................................. viii Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Motivation ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Positionality ............................................................................................................................. 2 1.4 Problem Statement ................................................................................................................ 3 1.5 Purpose of Research .............................................................................................................. 5 1.6 Research Questions ............................................................................................................... 6 1.7 Primary Texts .......................................................................................................................... 7 1.8 Chapter Overview ................................................................................................................... 8 1.9 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 8 Chapter Two: Literature Review ..................................................................................... 10 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Foucault and Power Relations ........................................................................................ 10 2.3 Systemic Oppression ......................................................................................................... 17 2.3.1 Privilege ............................................................................................................................................ 18 2.3.2 Intersectional Oppression ......................................................................................................... 22 iv 2.3.3 The Systemic Oppression of People of Colour .................................................................. 25 2.3.4 The Systemic Oppression of Women .................................................................................... 28 2.3.5 The Systemic Oppression of Queer People ........................................................................ 29 2.3.6 The Systemic Oppression of Disabled People .................................................................. 32 2.4 Social Structures in Fantasy and Children’s Literature .......................................... 33 2.4.1 The Structure of the Fantasy World ..................................................................................... 34 2.4.2 Children’s Literature and Society .......................................................................................... 38 2.4.3 Children’s Literature and Oppression ................................................................................. 46 2.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 54 Chapter Three: Method ....................................................................................................... 56 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 56 3.2 Criteria and Rationale for Selection of Primary Texts ............................................ 56 3.3 Analysis of Primary Texts ................................................................................................. 61 3.4 Terminology .......................................................................................................................... 69 3.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 74 Chapter Four: Findings ....................................................................................................... 75 4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 75 4.2 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ............................................................................................. 75 4.2.1 Dorothy’s Primary World .......................................................................................................... 76 4.2.2 The Systemic Oppression of People of Colour in the Land of Oz ............................. 79 4.2.3 The Systemic Oppression of Women in the Land of Oz ................................................ 89 4.2.4 The Systemic Oppression of Queer People in the Land of Oz .................................... 96 4.2.5 The Systemic Oppression of Disabled People in the Land of Oz ............................ 100 4.2.6 Intersectional Oppression in the Land of Oz and Conclusion .................................. 108 v 4.3 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone .................................................................. 112 4.3.1 Harry’s Primary World ............................................................................................................. 113 4.3.2 The Systemic Oppression of People of Colour in the Wizarding World .............. 121 4.3.3 The Systemic Oppression of Women in the Wizarding World ................................ 131 4.3.4 The Systemic Oppression of Queer People in the Wizarding World .................... 138 4.3.5 The Systemic Oppression of Disabled People in the Wizarding World ............... 143 4.3.6 Intersectional Oppression in the Wizarding World and Conclusion .................... 150 4.4 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 153 Chapter Five: Discussion .................................................................................................. 154 5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 154 5.2 Research Question One ................................................................................................... 154 5.3 Research Question Two ................................................................................................... 167 5.4 Research Question Three ............................................................................................... 175 5.5 Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................
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