Masters Thesis

Eating between binaries: food and young adult fiction

Eating Between Binaries examines the different ways first generation young adults use food to remember their cultural heritage while also navigating a new American identity. Looking at texts from Filipina-American author Melissa de la Cruz and Russian- American author/artist Vera Brogsol, I argue that media centering around first generation young adults not only uses food and methods of consumption as cultural markers, but that the use of more visual genres of literature—including novels, Netflix shows and documentaries, and food blogs—provide new outlets for community building and storytelling. This thesis juxtaposes the visual and the textual to show how visually seeing consumption can enrich or contradict the written word. By studying the intersections of food and social media, the young adult is better able to see themselves represented in popular media and respond to challenges around identity and authenticity. The interdisciplinary nature of this thesis highlights how intertextuality and media ultimately shape how and why we eat.

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