Reading Jackie Kay's The Adoption Papers (1990-1991)

Term Paper (Advanced seminar) , 2007 , 27 Pages , Grade: 1,3

English Language and Literature Studies - Literature

This seminar paper deals with: "BODY: Reading Jackie Kay’s The Adoption Papers (1990-1991)"

INTRODUCTION
1 AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WRITING
2 PODOROGA’S PHENOMENOLOGY OF BODY
3 DAUGHTER’S BODY
3.1 BODY-OBJECT
3.1.1 Wounded body
3.1.2 Dead body
3.1.3 Being touched
3.1.4 Being commanded
3.1.5 Examined body
3.2 BODY-“MY-BODY”
3.3. BODY-AFFECT
CONCLUSION

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• INTRODUCTION
• AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WRITING
• PODOROGA'S PHENOMENOLOGY OF BODY
• DAUGHTER'S BODY
  • BODY-OBJECT
    • Wounded body
    • Dead body
    • Being touched
    • Being commanded
    • Examined body
  • BODY-"MY-BODY"
  • BODY-AFFECT
• CONCLUSION

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to analyze the different bodies present in Jackie Kay's The Adoption Papers with a focus on the daughter's body. The paper utilizes the framework of Valerij Podoroga's Phenomenology of Body to examine the representations of the body in Kay's work.

• The daughter's relationship with her own body and the body of the Other
• The impact of adoption on the daughter's sense of identity and belonging
• The role of memory and the passage of time in shaping the daughter's experience
• The influence of societal expectations and bodily practices on the daughter's perception of herself
• The significance of the daughter's voice and perspective in Kay's autobiographical writing

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The Introduction provides biographical details about Jackie Kay and introduces the central themes of adoption and identity that are explored in The Adoption Papers. The paper then delves into the concept of autobiographical writing, drawing upon the work of Valerij Podoroga and other theorists of the body. Chapter 3 focuses on the daughter's body as it is represented in the text, examining the different ways in which the body is objectified, experienced as "my-body", and affected by the daughter's emotions and memories.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key themes and concepts explored in this paper include: adoption, identity, autobiographical writing, the body, phenomenology, gender, race, memory, affect, and the daughter's voice.

• College: Humboldt-University of Berlin (Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik)
• Course: HS Gender and 20th-century Autobiography
• Grade: 1,3
• Author: Maryna Zühlke (Author)
• Publication Year: 2007
• Pages: 27
• Catalog Number: V154007
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640668113
• Language: English
• Tags: Reading, Jackie, Adoption, Papers