Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

English

Committee Chair

Rosemary Hathaway

Committee Co-Chair

Sarah Morris

Committee Member

Sarah Morris

Committee Member

Michael Germana

Committee Member

Lynne Stahl

Abstract

This dissertation critically examines the current state of young adult rape fiction to explore the ways in which contemporary young adult rape novels engage with different aspects of rape culture and the systems in place that sustain it. Prioritizing issues related to disclosure, hope, healing, and justice, my investigation into these novels demonstrates the importance of attending to both the framing of rape and the challenges associated with narrativizing sexual violence in the context of adolescent literature. Ultimately, I argue that in order to challenge and disrupt the further entrenchment of societal attitudes and (mis)perceptions of rape that perpetuate the normalization and trivialization of sexual violence in adolescent rape fiction, it is imperative that authors work to highlight systemic issues while recognizing and pushing back against ideological messaging dictated by the conventions of young adult literature that can be particularly harmful in the context of sexual violence. In addition to outlining persistent issues within this subcategory of literature, I highlight the strides some authors are making to disrupt traditional young adult rape narratives, emphasize the political nature of sexual violence, and underscore the need for social change. My dissertation makes a case for why such interventions are necessary and examines the means by which they help to light a path forward in the ongoing fight against rape culture.

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