New directions in disability narratives : cyborgs and redefining disability in young adult literature

Abstract EN

This article explores the relationship between disability and technology in three young adult novels that redefine the dichotomy between the terms “disabled” and “normal.” The novels represent the next stage in the ongoing debate between the medical and social paradigms of disability, by adopting a hybrid approach that is sensitive to the pitfalls of both models.

The article argues that the trend of new writings—which avoids stereotypical representations of the impaired body and instead portrays real people with diverse personalities, struggles, and lifestyles—can contribute to mapping new directions for disability narratives in the twenty-first century