Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 2024
Publisher
Johns Hopkins University Press
Abstract
When J. K. Rowling uses Chaucer's "Pardoner's Tale" as her source text for "The Tale of the Three Brothers," she also incorporates Chaucer's frame, which questions whether a "vicious" storyteller can tell a moral tale. Rowling's use of this frame both signals that her characters may not be trustworthy and gives readers a lens for analyzing her transphobic messaging. Moreover, since the Pardoner is a queer (and possibly trans) character, embedding him within her text ultimately undermines her public transphobic statements. Additionally, we should look to the trans and nonbinary communities to guide us as we critically engage with Rowling's work going forward.
Recommended Citation
Hendricks, J. (2024). A “Ful Vicious” Author: Examining J. K. Rowling’s Transphobia through Her Framing of Chaucer’s “Pardoner’s Tale.” Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, 49(2), 127–149.
Comments
Copyright © 2024 The Johns Hopkins University Press. This article first appeared in Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, 49(2), 127–149. Reprinted with permission by Johns Hopkins University Press.