STARVING FOR JUSTICE: TEEN ACTION HEROINES AND THE LOGIC OF ANOREXIA by Emma Dunn Master of Arts, Brock University, 2015 Bachelor of Education, Brock University, 2014 Bachelor of Arts, Brock University, 2014 A dissertation presented to Ryerson University and York University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the joint program of Communication and Culture Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2019 © Emma Dunn, 2019 AUTHOR’S DECLARATION AUTHOR'S DECLARATION FOR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF A DISSERTATION I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this dissertation. This is a true copy of the dissertation, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I authorize Ryerson University to lend this dissertation to other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I further authorize Ryerson University to reproduce this dissertation by photocopying or by other means, in total or in part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I understand that my dissertation may be made electronically available to the public. ii ABSTRACT Starving for Justice: Teen Action Heroines and the Logic of Anorexia Emma Dunn Doctor of Philosophy Communication and Culture Ryerson University and York University, 2019 Marshalling evidence from critical feminist studies of eating disorders (Bordo; Malson and Burns; Warin), including Leslie Heywood’s concept of anorexic “logic,” this dissertation theorizes how anorexic rationality and subjectivity are expressed through the popular figure of the post-feminist action heroine, specifically within young adult (YA) speculative fiction franchises. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight novels (2005-2008), Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series (2008-2010), and Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy (2011-2013) serve as the primary, and I argue ideal case studies for this investigation. Emerging as top-selling YA series in the post-Harry Potter era, all three franchises feature teen girl protagonists with post-feminist “sensibility” (Gill), and with their mass appeal, have given rise to global fandoms. Hence, this project also examines reader responses to the series under discussion through a selection of online fan fiction in which female-identifying youth rewrite their protagonists as anorexic. Although media studies scholars have analyzed the gendered discourses surrounding contemporary female action heroes (Inness; Brown; Wright), and feminist literary scholars have explored how motifs of weight, starvation and consumption function within certain narratives (Daniel; Ellmann; Karlin; Meuret; Silver), the correlation between anorexia and action heroine iii texts has yet to be systematically studied. This investigation is all the more crucial given Parliament of Canada’s 2014 report, Eating Disorders Among Girls and Women in Canada, which notes that eating disorders have the highest mortality rates of all mental illnesses. Responding to the report’s call for increased research on media messaging aimed at youth, this dissertation focuses on mass media franchises targeted at girls and young women, the largest demographic of eating disorder sufferers, arguing that contemporary teen action heroine mythology reflects and reifies a problematic value system that mutually constitutes conceptions of starvation and justice, and informs the social construction of ideal femininity. This research thus forges new pathways between theories of girlhood, body image studies, and YA literature to offer a theoretical framework for reading female heroism that places the corporeal matrix of gender, consumption, and embodiment at its centre. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would firstly like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Irene Gammel, for her consistent championing both of this project, and of my professional development over the last four years. Thank you for challenging me in the best possible ways, and for helping me find my voice as an emerging scholar. I am forever grateful for all of the opportunities I’ve been afforded as a direct result of your support. I also extend sincere appreciation to my committee members, Dr. Miranda Campbell and Dr. Susan Driver. Your attentive and generous engagement with my work, from the early stages of my comprehensive exams through to the final defence, have been instrumental in expanding the depth of this research. I would like to thank Dr. Jeremy Shtern as well, for his continuous support as Graduate Program Director and commitment to my success on the road to defence. I owe a great deal to Dr. Neta Gordon, whose captivating lectures on gender, literature and the body first inspired my interest in studying anorexia from a literary perspective. Her insights and guidance, along with those of Dr. Ann Howey, underlie the second chapter of this dissertation, which grew out of my Master’s research project under Dr. Gordon’s supervision. I offer special thanks to Dr. James Allard, whose encouragement and counsel inspired me to consider graduate school at a time when I thought my career path was set; thank you for opening my eyes to my own potentiality. I also extend my gratitude to Dr. Leah Knight, for her ongoing advice that has helped me navigate the waters of the professional academic world. This dissertation would not have been possible without funding provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program, and the Rogers Family Fellowship. I would also like to acknowledge Ryerson’s Communication and Culture program, the Ryerson Student’s Union, Ryerson International, v CUPE 3904, and the Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre, all of which have provided financial support for me to attend academic conferences that have directly impacted this work. A tree is only as strong as its roots, and I am grateful to have a deep-rooted personal support system of individuals who have strengthened and nourished me over the course of my scholarly journey. Thank you to my Barrie Central family for providing me with a steadfast network of loyal friends who can always be counted on to lend an ear or a wholehearted belly laugh; the grounding power of our group has meant more than you know. I would also like to thank Gianluca Agostinelli – my colleague, partner-in-crime, and friend – without whom I would not have survived the first weeks of graduate school. Thank you for always understanding. I am indebted to my sisters, Alex Macri, Julie Cobb, and Heather Camley, for teaching me the power of feminist sisterhood, and sharing in all of my accomplishments and failures every step of the way. To my parents, Paul and Jennifer Dunn, thank you for instilling in me the confidence to chase my goals while always honouring my values. Your guidance is the foundation of all that I do. Finally, to Ken Simmons, my selfless and generous partner in life: thank you for believing in me, for supporting me, and for shaping your dreams so that I could pursue mine. This is for you. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Author’s Declaration ..................................................................................................................... ii Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ v Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures …......................................................................................................................... viii Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 – Post-Feminism, the Body, and Youth: Toward a Theory of Anorexic Heroism in YA Speculative Fiction …........................................ 18 Chapter 2 – Good Vampires Don’t Eat: Anorexic Transformation and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Phenomenon ................................... 63 Chapter 3 – The Angel in the Faction: Martyrdom and Mascochism in Veronica Roth’s Divergent Series ............................................ 97 Chapter 4 – The (Starving) Girl On Fire: Hunger and Heroism in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games Franchise …............................. 134 Chapter 5 – Flipping the Script: Anorexic Heroines in YA Fan Fiction ................................... 171 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 206 Works Cited ............................................................................................................................... 214 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Bella Swan’s pregnant and emaciated body …………………………………… 83 Figure 2 Bella Swan’s death ……………………………………………………………... 84 Figure 3 Before and after Bella’s transformation ……………………………………….. 85 Figure 4 The progression of Tris Prior’s aesthetic ……………………………………... 106 Figure 5 Contrasting images of femininity in The Hunger Games …………………….. 154 Figure 6 An example of anorexic logic in girls’ material culture …………...…………. 212 viii INTRODUCTION In November of 2017, I attended a public symposium offered by Canada’s National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED), for whom I volunteered at the time. Approximately 50 people were in attendance,