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"This is why I am different from the others"

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TitleInfo
Title
"This is why I am different from the others"
SubTitle
the abject child as symbol of cultural anxiety
Name (type = personal)
NamePart (type = family)
Saraco
NamePart (type = given)
Maureen Elizabeth
NamePart (type = date)
1987-
DisplayForm
Maureen Saraco
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
author
Name (type = personal)
NamePart (type = family)
Blackford
NamePart (type = given)
Holly
DisplayForm
Holly Blackford
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
chair
Name (type = personal)
NamePart (type = family)
Singley
NamePart (type = given)
Carol
DisplayForm
Carol Singley
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
co-chair
Name (type = corporate)
NamePart
Rutgers University
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
degree grantor
Name (type = corporate)
NamePart
Camden Graduate School
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
school
TypeOfResource
Text
Genre (authority = marcgt)
theses
OriginInfo
DateCreated (qualifier = exact)
2012
DateOther (qualifier = exact); (type = degree)
2012-05
Place
PlaceTerm (type = code)
xx
Language
LanguageTerm (authority = ISO639-2b); (type = code)
eng
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
English
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_4111
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Extent
iv, 80 p.
Note (type = degree)
M.A.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Maureen Elizabeth Saraco
Abstract (type = abstract)
This thesis examines Tom Riddle of the Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling
(1997-2007), Joe Christmas of Light in August by William Faulkner (1932), and Charlie
Gordon of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (1966) in the context of Julia
Kristeva’s theory of the abject. The abject is that which challenges the border between
the self, or the state, and that which is outside of it. As such, encounters with the abject
trigger reactions of fear, horror, anxiety, or disgust. I argue that these characters—whose
identities defy categorization because they are between wizard and Muggle, black and
white, and genius and moron—are abject, and thus elicit terror in those who encounter
them. Their abjection precludes them from belonging to any sort of community. Moreover, each text highlights its character’s ambiguous, abject identity by associating him with the filth that threatens the body, i.e. blood, vomit, feces, etc. This juxtaposition shows how the characters, as the filth of their societies, are cast out in the name of protecting the clean and proper state. In an increasingly global society, in which borders are porous and rights are expanding, I argue that this refusal to challenge or minimize the border between the self/state and that which is outside of it increases both the self and the
state’s vulnerability. By perpetuating ideals of acceptable identities, we create the abject
and subject ourselves to feelings terror and anxiety when the clean and proper body, or
the clean and proper state, is undoubtedly threatened. I suggest that the abject—and the
resulting terror—cannot be overcome unless we challenge the binary system that
currently creates communities. We must not try to use discipline or exclusion to regulate
or protect from difference. Instead, we must confront our fear and expand the definition of “normal” to include multiple kinds of identities, and diminish anxiety and vulnerability by embracing the reality of the porous border.
Subject
Name (authority = LC-NAF)
NamePart (type = personal)
Rowling, J. K.--Criticism and interpretation
Subject
Name (authority = LC-NAF)
NamePart (type = personal)
Rowling, J. K.--Characters--Harry Potter
Subject
Name (authority = LC-NAF)
NamePart (type = personal)
Faulkner, William, 1897-1962--Characters-- Light in August
Subject
Name (authority = LC-NAF)
NamePart (type = personal)
Faulkner, William, 1897-1962--Criticism and interpretation
Subject
Name (authority = LC-NAF)
NamePart (type = personal)
Keyes, Daniel--Characters-- Flowers for Algernon
Subject
Name (authority = LC-NAF)
NamePart (type = personal)
Keyes, Daniel--Criticism and interpretation
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Abjection in literature
Identifier (type = hdl)
http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.1/rucore10005600001.ETD.000064987
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Camden Graduate School Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore10005600001
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
NjNbRU
Identifier (type = doi)
doi:10.7282/T3ZP453M
Genre (authority = ExL-Esploro)
ETD graduate
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Rights

RightsDeclaration (ID = rulibRdec0006)
The author owns the copyright to this work.
RightsHolder (type = personal)
Name
FamilyName
Saraco
GivenName
Maureen
Role
Copyright Holder
RightsEvent
Type
Permission or license
DateTime (encoding = w3cdtf); (qualifier = exact); (point = start)
2012-05-07 09:27:23
AssociatedEntity
Name
Maureen Saraco
Role
Copyright holder
Affiliation
Rutgers University. Camden Graduate School
AssociatedObject
Type
License
Name
Author Agreement License
Detail
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
RightsEvent
DateTime (encoding = w3cdtf); (qualifier = exact); (point = start)
2012-05-31
DateTime (encoding = w3cdtf); (qualifier = exact); (point = end)
2013-05-31
Type
Embargo
Detail
Access to this PDF has been restricted at the author's request. It will be publicly available after May 31st, 2013.
Copyright
Status
Copyright protected
Availability
Status
Open
Reason
Permission or license
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Technical

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417280
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application/pdf
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application/x-tar
FileSize (UNIT = bytes)
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Checksum (METHOD = SHA1)
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