Publication details
“What will you do with yourself when you grasp that your mind is only different, not deranged?” : Madness, Isolation and Neurodivergent Heroes in Historical Romance Novels
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | This paper aims to discuss the representation of neurodiversity in two historical romance novels: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley and The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian, arguing that today, the “madness” of the protagonists would be recognised as neurodiversity, specifically autism. The novels offer four contrasting forms of isolation – voluntary vs. involuntary and emotional vs. physical – as a consequence of the protagonists’ madness. The love interests consistently disagree with the claim that the protagonists are mad, arguing instead that their minds are simply different. Consequently, the novels offer a historical perspective on the ongoing debate on whether autism should be considered a disability, or a form of neurodiversity. |
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