Kaleigh Bozick | 2024 I.S. Symposium

Name: Kaleigh Bozick
Title: Embodied Reimagining: A Queer Mapping of Identity Performances in Percy Jackson Fan Fiction
Majors: English; Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies
Advisors: Daimys García; Sina Lee

This thesis delves into the multimodal landscape of fan fiction communities, focusing on the characters Nico and Annabeth in Percy Jackson fan fiction pieces. Through a comprehensive examination of reader-author dynamics and a detailed analysis of transformative works, particularly those reimagining characters like Annabeth, this study illuminates fan fiction’s significance beyond mere entertainment. By uncovering fan fiction’s role as a space for queer exploration, individual empowerment, and communal interaction, this research underscores its transformative potential in fostering creativity and challenging conventional narratives of representation. Drawing on perspectives from queer theory, Black feminist thought, and gender performance studies, this project highlights fan fiction’s capacity to facilitate personal expression, critical inquiry, and community building. However, it also acknowledges the challenges within fan fiction spaces and the ongoing evolution of this inquiry. Moving forward, this research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of fan fiction’s enduring relevance and its impact on individual agency and cultural discourse. While engaging with my research, I found that my conclusions only lead to further questions, and how little a year is to conduct thesis work. Yet, my work was a topic I am extremely passionate about, and only recently discovered was a field of study, so I imagine I will expand this project in future years, and believe more analysis on fan fiction will develop in the future, especially regarding Percy Jackson.

Posted in Symposium 2024 on May 6, 2024.