Beyond the Canon: Fanfiction, Diversity, and the Dynamics of Power
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Date
2024
Authors
Moore, Mia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Situated in the field of fan studies, this thesis compares J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series with one of its fanfictions, All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89. Harry Potter ideologically aligns itself with systems of oppression and marginalized communities. However, the series also engages in racial tokenism and superficial representations of disenfranchised identity. I employ Rami Shalk’s concept of defamiliarization and Katherine Anderson-Howell's concept of “writing through” identity to analyze Rowling’s topical application of diverse identities in comparison to MsKingBean89’s fanfiction. My analysis concludes that MsKingBean89 employs a more sincere portrayal of marginalization by embedding identity into every level of her characters’ lives and by refamiliarizing the ideological metaphor of oppression present in Harry Potter. MsKingBean89’s refamiliarization of these metaphors reminds readers that oppression is not only a plot device, but a status of being through which the characters live. Through the study of All the Young Dudes, this thesis challenges the stereotypes of fanfiction as amateur and shameful by demonstrating the genre’s potential for transforming problematic portrayals of marginalized identity in mainstream media franchises. My analysis reveals the value of fanfiction as critical discourse and cautions future scholars to the risk of exploitation by media producers for this labor.
Description
60 pages
Keywords
Fanfiction, Tokenism, Diversity, Fandom, Harry Potter