Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

English

First Advisor

Jené Schoenfeld

Abstract

This thesis examines three dystopian novels: Louise Erdrich’s Future Home of the Living God, Ling Ma’s Severance, and Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven, all featuring a public health crisis and at least one pregnant character. Pregnancy has long been a popular trope in dystopian literature, often signaling the possibility of new life even in the face of disaster. Pregnant characters may be incorporated into a speculative plot to depict the impact of dictatorial control on citizens’ autonomy, or even to offer new threats to the dystopian universe, in the case of mystical pregnancies. The incorporation of pregnancy in dystopian works has been criticized as reductive of women to just their potential reproductive abilities, as well as exploitative of unnecessary trauma in already unhappy storylines. In contrast, my thesis argues that the employment of pregnant characters in feminist dystopian literature can effectively offer insight into current societal issues, especially when considered through the lens of intersectionality. When feminist dystopian authors consider the impacts of a worsened world on women’s autonomy, their plots are not exploitative of pregnant characters, but rather expressive of the plethora of societal issues that pregnant women and marginalized communities face. When authors thoughtfully incorporate diverse characters and situations in their dystopian plots, their critiques of modern society, and therefore the overall purpose of their novels, are strengthened.

Rights Statement

All rights reserved. This copy is provided to the Kenyon Community solely for individual academic use. For any other use, please contact the copyright holder for permission.

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