Publicação
"Who doesn't want to be more desired and, therefore, loved?": A comparative study of Jeanette Winterson's Frankissstein and Hanif Kureishi's The Body
| Resumo: | Growing old is a sensitive issue worldwide, as it is a phase of life marked by significant physical changes. For this reason, humanity has long sought ways to delay the visible signs of aging. In The Body (2002) by Hanif Kureishi, the character Adam discovers a way to become young again for a limited time by acquiring a new body while retaining his original mind. Although everything seems extraordinary at first, he soon realizes that this transformation is not sustainable—primarily because it means losing his old life, which was never his intention. Ageism is the central theme of the book, evident in Adam’s desire to change his physical appearance due to the dissatisfaction he feels when looking at his reflection. This reflects the beauty standards imposed by society. The procedure Adam undergoes also symbolizes the possibility of altering the body to avoid changes brought about by disease or death—topics that are also explored in Frankissstein (2019) by Jeanette Winterson. In this novel, the story follows Victor Stein, a scientist who reanimates dead bodies by transferring their brains into digital formats. Although the motivations behind the two books differ, both explore the desire to transcend the limitations of the human condition, including those related to gender and age. This thesis proposes a comparative reading of the two texts, while also drawing on cultural artifacts that engage with these shared themes. |
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| Autores principais: | Palha, Mariana da Silva Fernandes |
| Assunto: | Ageism Bodies Gender Hanif Kureishi Jeanette Winterson Corpos Género Idadismo Humanidades::Línguas e Literaturas |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade do Minho |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho |
| Resumo: | Growing old is a sensitive issue worldwide, as it is a phase of life marked by significant physical changes. For this reason, humanity has long sought ways to delay the visible signs of aging. In The Body (2002) by Hanif Kureishi, the character Adam discovers a way to become young again for a limited time by acquiring a new body while retaining his original mind. Although everything seems extraordinary at first, he soon realizes that this transformation is not sustainable—primarily because it means losing his old life, which was never his intention. Ageism is the central theme of the book, evident in Adam’s desire to change his physical appearance due to the dissatisfaction he feels when looking at his reflection. This reflects the beauty standards imposed by society. The procedure Adam undergoes also symbolizes the possibility of altering the body to avoid changes brought about by disease or death—topics that are also explored in Frankissstein (2019) by Jeanette Winterson. In this novel, the story follows Victor Stein, a scientist who reanimates dead bodies by transferring their brains into digital formats. Although the motivations behind the two books differ, both explore the desire to transcend the limitations of the human condition, including those related to gender and age. This thesis proposes a comparative reading of the two texts, while also drawing on cultural artifacts that engage with these shared themes. |
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