'We're just talking': Depicting Euthanasia in Contemporary British and American Narratives

My PhD will demonstrate how narratives may intervene in and contribute to public debates on the subject of euthanasia. In Poetics, Aristotle recognised how people were fascinated with scenes of death and how with fiction they were content at seeing things they would avoid in their own lives. Establishing an open dialogue about death can be difficult and yet with the increasing control we have over our bodies it is vital these conversations are had. Mechanical ventilators, cardiac pacemakers, artificial nutrition and hydration as well as drugs to control blood pressure are just a few examples of the incredible technologies and treatments which allow us to support the body when it is unable to carry out certain vital functions. Whilst we rightly celebrate these developments we must be mindful of the responsibility we have in making decisions about care. As indicated by Aristotle literature and film have, for thousands of years, been a way for us to confront those aspects of our lives which make us deeply uncomfortable. Through studying narratives written from the 1960 to the present I am particularly concerned with the narratives which have been written in response to these scientific advancements and the challenging questions they pose. Through studying both British and American texts I will offer a comparative analysis of healthcare systems. Whilst the British narratives centre around the need to travel to another country where the character’s decision is supported, many of the American narratives have been produced in response to changes in law, such as Youth in Oregon which is a comedy drama directed by Joel David Moore and Mercy Lilly which is a young adult fiction novel by Lisa Albert. My thesis is also concerned with how euthanasia narratives fit within the context of other representations of illness and disability. Many disability rights advocates such as Liz Carr and Tobin Seibers are concerned that so many fictional representations of disability involve euthanasia Whilst there are relatively few books which consider euthanasia there are a disproportionate number relative to representations of disabled characters living happy and fulfilling lives. Further to this, they tend to receive considerable attention from newspapers and readers, arguably because they are dealing with such an important issue. I wish to explore the ways in which these narratives are problematic and how  writers can reflect on more appropriate ways of representing illness and disability that do not involve reinforcing prejudices.