Fabulous Beasts: Imagery In J.K. Rowling

Abstract

The chosen Young Adult literary pieces for the present study are the screenplay and book versions of Fantastic Beasts, published in 2018 and 2001, respectively. The screenplay does not constitute an adaptation of the book; rather, it serves as a contextual backdrop to the era in which a character authored his treatise on the fauna inhabiting his surroundings. Within the literary works, the utilization of lexicons such as "monster" and "beast" appears to connote a depersonalized portrayal of the subject matter, thereby prompting inquiries as to why the author would prompt readers to associate autism with monstrosity. Is the author perpetuating the convention of employing illness as a thematic device in narrative or is she proposing an alternative perspective? To establish a foundation for these inquiries, we will examine the text through the lens of Lacan and Derrida's theories on "Subjectivity" and its role in distinguishing between fellowship, alterity, and monstrosity. The aim of this study is to examine the portrayal of autism in Rowling's screenplay, utilizing textual evidence from the book to evaluate the extent to which it aligns with reality or, conversely, perpetuates stereotypical depictions of individuals with autism.