Writing as a Healing Process: Comparing the Novels of Dorothy Allison and Tara Westover

Šindlerová, Zuzana

In my thesis I compare two American literary works, the canonical work of Dorothy Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina, and a more recent memoir by Tara Westover, Educated. Even though the two works do not share geographical, religious, or socio-political settings, their similarities are undeniable. Both works represent a story of problematic family background, with episodes full of physical, psychological, and in the case of Bastard Out of Carolina, even sexual abuse. The universality of poverty, terrible social position in the main society and the detrimental effects of patriarchy provide a connecting matrix of similarities between the two literary works. My thesis is divided into two main parts, a theoretical introduction, and an analytical part, analyzing the literary works. The introductory part concentrates on three main topics that are essential to understanding the profoundly American context of both works. The common topic of the 'American poor' social class is contextualized mainly within the Southern context of the canonical work. The term 'white trash," is explained, chiefly supported by the highly acclaimed academic works of Matt Wray, Annalee Newitz and Nancy Isenberg. For a better understanding of the historical term, I provide a historical excursion of the derogatory term, utilizing the...

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