Fat Boys in Gym Class: An Examination of Athleticism in Young Adult Novels Featuring Fat, Cisgender Male Protagonists. Issue 1 (1st December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: DuBose, Jennifer
• Is Part Of: Boyhood Studies. Volume 15:Issue 1/2(2022)
• Page Start: 103
• Page End: 122
• Publication Date: 2022-12-01
• Subjects: athleticism -- fat -- fat studies -- male -- protagonists -- young adult literature; Boys -- Psychology -- Cross-cultural studies -- Periodicals; Teenage boys -- Periodicals; 305.230811
• DOI: 10.3167/bhs.2022.15010207
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2375-9240

Abstract

Abstract: This article examines the role of athleticism in young adult novels featuring fat, male young adult protagonists. I analyze the role of athleticism in eleven national award-winning young adult novels with fat, cisgender, male protagonists, arguing that athleticism rebrands fatness as acceptable, powerful, and even desirable as long as it is associated with sport or violence. It also signals character growth and redemption in the fat male protagonists, as it is often the catalyst for their maturation and the resolution of the plot's conflicts. The article ultimately shows that the trope of athleticism in young adult literature reflects and upholds social constructs of male fatness.