Representing Fat Female Bodies: A Fat Studies Analysis of Selected Literary Texts

Abstract

The representation of fat female bodies is a highly contested and fundamentally political activity through which a number of gendered discourses are inscribed on and perpetuated through the construction of fat female corporeality. Fat still tends to be regarded as an aberrational deviation from the “normal” female body with fat women being relegated to the margins of critiques of how women are represented in popular culture discourses. Yet the fear of fat works as effectively in disciplining women as actual fat does. Far from being a niche area of women’s lived experience, fat phobia works to shape the reality of all women in ways that are profoundly gendered. This article will utilise the theoretical rubric of Fat Studies to explore selected literary texts that offer very positive representations of fat female bodies. If all representation is inherently political, the positive representation of fat women, unfortunately, still continues to constitute a radical political act. I will show how, even as these authors portray fat women in a positive light, they always situate their bodies within socio-cultural spaces in which systemic fat phobia prevails. This article will thus demonstrate both the possibility of positive representation and the ubiquitous nature of the forces that challenge such representations. The novels I will explore are Big Bones by Laura Dockrill (2018), 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad (2016) and Dietland by Sarai Walker (2015).

Opsomming

Die uitbeelding van vet vroulike lywe is 'n hoogs omstrede en fundamenteel politiese aktiwiteit waardeur verskeie gendered diskoerse ingeprent word op en in stand gehou word deur die konstruksie van vet vroulike lyflikheid. Vet word steeds beskou as 'n afwyking van die “normale” vroulike lyf en vet vroue word uitgeskuif tot die kantlyne van kritiek oor hoe vroue uitgebeeld word in gewilde kulturele diskoerse. Tog werk die vrees vir vet so effektief om vroue te dissiplineer soos werklike vet. Hierdie is nie 'n nishoekie van vroue se daaglikse lewenservarings nie. Vetfobie vorm die werklikheid van alle vroue op maniere wat diepliggend gendered is. Hierdie artikel sal die teoretiese raamwerk van Fat Studies gebruik om geselekteerde literêre tekste wat positiewe uitbeeldings van vet vroue bied, te ondersoek. Indien alle uitbeeldings inherent polities is, bly die positiewe uitbeelding van vroue, helaas, 'n radikale politiese aksie. Ek sal wys dat, selfs terwyl hierdie skrywers vet vroue op 'n positiewe wyse uitbeeld, hulle altyd hulle lywe plaas in sosio-kulturele ruimtes waar sistemiese vetfobie hoogty vier. Hierdie artikel sal dus beide die moontlikheid van positiewe uitbeeldings as die alomteenwoordige magte wat sulke uitbeeldings betwis demonstreer. Die romans wat ek sal ondersoek is Big Bones deur Laura Dockrill (2018), 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl deur Mona Awad (2016) en Dietland deur Sarai Walker (2015).