Dissertation Information for Allan A. Cuseo NAME: - Allan A. Cuseo
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1988)
ADVISORS: - Jane Anne Therese Hannigan
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - None
MPACT Status: Incomplete - Ambiguous
Title: A literary analysis of the homosexual in novels published for the young adult, 1969-1982. (Volumes I and II)
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the homosexual character through literary analysis of nondiscursive titles, published for young adults. Kay E. Vandergrift's Child and Story: The Literary Connection was used to define key compositional elements as variables and as a theoretical basis for the study. The independent variable was the year of the novel's publication, 1969 to 1982.
An instrument using discursive works was developed to provide a contextual basis, especially on the topic of adolescent homosexuality and the societal myths about homosexuality that have been identified by sociologists, psychologists, and homosexual apologists.
A panel of authorities in the literature published for the young adult was consulted to prepare the list of sixty-nine nondiscursive works. Thematic bibliographies created for the young adult and recommendations from publishers were also used to compile the sample. The study did not consider the reader's response to the literature, the author's sexual orientation, plot or content analysis methodology, nor historical or sociological study.
It was not until the 1970's that mass communication stimulated a growth of titles published for the young adult with major and minor homosexual characters. There has been concern on the part of some librarians and educators that these realistic novels have little literary merit and only serve as vehicles to present a subject of relevance during the time, homosexuality.
The results of the research indicate an acceptance of societal myths to create a negative image of the homosexual character.
It was not until 1982 with the publication of Nancy Garden's Annie On My Mind, Aidan Chambers' Dance On My Grave, and David Rees' The Milkman's On His Way that the literature saw the beginning of a complex round homosexual character. Even these characters, however, usually suffer from some form of retribution for their orientation, often based on society's homophobia. There is an absence of homosexual characters who are ordinary individuals, individuals whose orientation is not the cornerstone of the novel's problem. There is also an absence of homosexual characters involved in long-term relationships as compared to heterosexual characters.
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MPACT Scores for Allan A. Cuseo A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:02:03
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