Fat Boys in Gym Class

An Examination of Athleticism in Young Adult Novels Featuring Fat, Cisgender Male Protagonists

in Boyhood Studies
Author:
Jennifer DuBose Graduate Student, Texas Woman's University, USA jdubose@twu.edu

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4086-4677
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3167/bhs.2022.15010207
Keywords:
athleticism; fat; fat studies; male; protagonists; young adult literature
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Abstract

This article examines the role of athleticism in young adult novels featuring fat, male young adult protagonists. I analyze the role of athleticism in eleven national award-winning young adult novels with fat, cisgender, male protagonists, arguing that athleticism rebrands fatness as acceptable, powerful, and even desirable as long as it is associated with sport or violence. It also signals character growth and redemption in the fat male protagonists, as it is often the catalyst for their maturation and the resolution of the plot's conflicts. The article ultimately shows that the trope of athleticism in young adult literature reflects and upholds social constructs of male fatness.

Contributor Notes

Jennifer DuBose is a fat woman and a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in English Literature at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas. She holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Texas A&M University, and she works as a high-school English as a Second Language educator. She has taught high-school students for nine years and plans to continue teaching upon the completion of her degree. Email: jdubose@twu.edu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4086-4677

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Boyhood Studies

An Interdisciplinary Journal

Cover Boyhood Studies
Article Category:
Research Article
Page Count:
20
Keywords:
athleticism; fat; fat studies; male; protagonists; young adult literature
Print Publication Date:
01 Dec 2022
Online Publication Date:
01 Dec 2022
Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022

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