The representation of asexuality in selected works of young adult fiction

Abstract

When examined over time, novels that offer representation of asexual people are found to be relatively few and far between, leading to several misconceptions and stereotypes taking the place of awareness and acceptance. Due to the comparatively newer and smaller nature of the community, examples of both positive and negative representation cannot be traced very far back, but there have been some notable cases over the past twenty years. However, as media become more accessible over time, more and more people produce and distribute their own work, representing their communities in a way that was previously either lacking; problematic or simply absent. A genre that has proved to be particularly important is the Young Adult novel, where young readers can find increasingly diverse representation. The number of novels featuring asexual characters is still quite low, but there are four well-known examples within the community that I will be discussing in this dissertation. These novels are Alice Oseman’s 'Radio Silence' (2016) and 'Loveless' (2020); Kathryn Ormsbee’s 'Tash Hearts Tolstoy' (2017); and Claire Kann’s 'Let’s Talk About Love' (2018).