Disability and "the Oppressive Assumptions of Normalcy" in Jojo Moyes’Me Before You (2012)

Abstract

This work of research explores the issues surrounding the representations of disabled characters in literature, and the role of normalcy in forming and perpetuating the negative perceptions of disability in fiction and reality. It sheds the light on the societal attitudes, beliefs, and prejudices that might play into the authors‟ portrayals of disability and disabled characters, along with the readers‟ interpretations of such narratives. Under the lens of Disability Studies, this research attempts to disturb normalcy‟s hold through a critical analysis of Me Before You, a popular contemporary novel that introduced the theme of disability in a very controversial way. This investigation will reveal the process of normative oppression in Jojo Moyes‟ representation of disability as a tragedy, life obstacle, and fate worse than death.