Gender, Bodies And Disease In Contemporary Children’s Literature

Abstract

For modern Russian society, the topic of childhood illness and disability
remains one of the most problematic and tabooed. This study used the
example of contemporary Russian children’s literature to trace the evolution of the topic of childhood illness and trauma through the prism of cultural representations of masculinity and femininity, as well as cross-gender strategies for children’s behavior in situations of trauma, illness, or disability, both their own and those of others. The official Soviet discourse on disability focuses on bodily injuries and, as a consequence, on the incapacity of people of this category to be full members of society as such, regardless of their gender. In Soviet space children with disabilities would work for the benefit of the collective, pursuing the ideal of the heroic overcoming of disability, and following the example of Alexei Meresiev and Pavka Korchagin. In the 21st century, cultural attitudes regarding the problem of children’s disability — one of the most ambiguous and complex issues of our time — are undergoing significant changes, which are reflected in literary contemplations.
The article investigates the strategies used to overcome established patterns and offers to examine the types and natures of boys’ and girls’ illnesses. Is the gender division into two separate groups effective for making sense of the story in contemporary space? How do the notions of femininity and masculinity allow us to rethink and expand the perception of a child’s disability?

Keywords: disability, ableism, trauma, illness, gender, masculinity, femininity