(De)constructing Imagination: Racial Bias And Counter-Storytelling In Young Adult Speculative Fiction

ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Jewel Davis, Associate Professor, Education Librarian (Creator)
Institution
Appalachian State University (ASU )
Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/

Abstract: This critical content analysis examines representations of race and ethnicity in three young adult speculative novels: Children of Blood and Bone, The Black Witch, and Carve the Mark. This study utilizes Critical Race Theory to closely analyze texts to find and critique elements of bias and highlight counter-stories. Three major themes emerged from the analysis: BIPOC characters as dark aggressors, the construction of systems of oppression in world-building, and the transformation of characters encountering racism. In the discussion and implication, the author argues for supporting counter-storytelling and provides questions for analyzing representation in speculative fiction.

Additional Information

Publication
Davis, J. (2020). (De)constructing Imagination: Racial Bias and Counter-Storytelling in Young Adult Speculative Fiction. Study and Scrutiny: Research on Young Adult Literature. Vol. 4, no. 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2376-5275.2020.4.1.1-28. Publisher version of record available at: https://journals.shareok.org/studyandscrutiny/article/view/1056
Language: English
Date: 2020
Keywords
Critical Studies, Racial Bias, Young Adult Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Critical Race Theory

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