Queen Bea: a novel [and] No me without you: how concepts of self as mutable and multiple shaped the YA novel Queen Bea

Nadin, J (2016) Queen Bea: a novel [and] No me without you: how concepts of self as mutable and multiple shaped the YA novel Queen Bea. PhD thesis, Bath Spa University.

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Abstract

This dissertation comprises a young adult novel and contextualising thesis. The novel Queen Bea explores concepts of multiple self and narcissism as normative states for adolescents. The contextualising thesis is an intensely personal piece. It charts not only the transformation of the novel following research into the concept of mutable and multiple self, but also the author’s own metamorphoses from childhood, through adulthood, into her own acceptance of multiple selves, and the implications for her writing. It comprises an introduction, four chapters and a conclusion. The introduction sets out the scope, methodology and limitations, as well as offering an insight into Nadin’s interest in ‘self’. In the opening chapter she discusses the background to Queen Bea, including the teenage transformations that have characterised her work, contextualising the work within the YA tradition of ‘quest for self’ novels. In Chapter 2 she looks at the influence the concepts of a ‘mutable and multiple’ self and ‘necessary narcissism’ had on her thinking and on the structure and content of the novel, in particular referencing Julian Baggini, Bruce Hood, Erik Erikson and Elizabeth Lunbeck. Chapter 3 attempts to situate her work within the context of other YA literature that has explored mutable or multiple self, including David Levithan’s novel Every Day. Chapter 4 looks in greater detail at some of the ways in which she has tried to weave her thoughts on self and self-obsession into plot, form and characterisation in the final draft of Queen Bea. She concludes by discussing whether or not she believes Queen Bea achieves what she set out to achieve, and what the implications are going forward. This is followed by appendices and a bibliography.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Note:

Thesis supervised by Steve Voake.

The document attached to this record is the contextualizing research section of the thesis only. It does not include the creative component, which is the manuscript for the novel 'Queen Bea'.

Keywords: PhD by Practice, creative writing, YA novels, young adult novels, self, identity, narcissism, self-obsession, teenage behaviour, adolescents, childhood, adulthood, multiple selves, Julian Baggini, Bruce Hood, Erik Erikson, Elizabeth Lunbeck, David Levithan,
Divisions: School of Writing, Publishing and the Humanities
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.17870/bathspa.00009453
Date Deposited: 22 Mar 2017 17:42
Last Modified: 19 Feb 2024 19:13
URI / Page ID: https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/9453
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