Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

Making A Monster: Queerness And Disability In Gothic Literature, Julien Draven

University Honors Theses

Scholars within the gothic genre have long been exploring the concept of the "other" within literature. Looking at the topics of queerness and disability through the lens of Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein it's clear that much of the rhetoric surrounding these identities in the 19th century is still very much present in modern society--even if it's worded a bit differently. This literature review covers how queerness and disability are related, disability, eugenics, sexuality, gender, and monstrosity all within the gothic genre of literature.