Date of Award
2024
Degree Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English and Theatre
First Advisor
Lisa B. Day
Second Advisor
Charlotte J. Rich
Third Advisor
Jill Parrott
Abstract
A recent trend in readership within online discourse communities is the emergence of the genre called “Good for Her,” which contains themes of transgression beyond traditional expectations of socially acceptable feminine behavior by situating revenge arcs to celebrate actions that otherwise would have been perceived as reprehensible. The emergence and popularity of the genre in the post-2016 sociopolitical climate in the United States reflects the demand for marginalized communities to see versions of themselves represented in texts in which the protagonist avenges herself in the face of patriarchal oppression. The genre stems from canonical literary tropes also created in the midst of social unrest, and as the genre serves as a tool for marginalized communities to express their collective rage and highlight systemic injustices, the genre is worthy of consideration for literary merit despite its newness and composition of contemporary texts.
Recommended Citation
Vaught, Jessica Lynn, "Good for Her: Catharsis and Empowerment in Contemporary Literature" (2024). Online Theses and Dissertations. 848.
https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/848
