The Penalization of Agentic Female Characters in Literature: An Analysis of The Awakening and Looking for Alaska

Adolescents tend to identify with literary characters to a considerable degree, and it is therefore vital to advocate the distinction between healthy and unhealthy characters in the secondary classroom. This thesis aims to investigate the intertwining topics of mental health and gender roles in Kate Chopin’s canonical novel The Awakening (1899) and John Green’s young adult fiction novel Looking for Alaska (2005). These topics are part of the interdisciplinary topic of health and life skills, which should be facilitated in all subjects in the Norwegian classroom. In this thesis, I explore how this can be done by looking at how the novels’ prominent female characters portray agency yet become penalized for it. The novels both portray patriarchy, suicide, and feminism, thought to distinct approaches. This analysis shows that the novels differ in their attitudes towards agentic women and that newer fiction is not inevitably a healthier ideal for learning than canonical fiction. Additionally, this thesis emphasizes that combining canonical fiction and young adult fiction gives the best learning outcome to facilitate learning within health and life skills in the English subject