An analysis of queer representation in Zen Cho’s Black Water Sister

Tan, Jia Yuin (2023) An analysis of queer representation in Zen Cho’s Black Water Sister. Final Year Project, UTAR.

Preview

PDF Download (658Kb) | Preview

Abstract

This study explores how Zen Cho’s novel published in 2021, Black Water Sister, navigates through queer themes and representation, as well as how it tackles issues related to the queer community. In this study, the researcher investigated how the novel depicts the queer characters, as well as how heteronormativity within the setting of the novel affects the queer protagonist. Textual analysis is used to examine the text to discover how the themes correlate within the context of queer theory. The conclusion of the study finds that the queer characters in the novel are compelling and multidimensional while also allowed to be confident in their sexualities despite the issues they faced, creating diverse queer representations. The downsides of heteronormative ideology in general society are also seen through the viewpoint of the protagonist, by how it negatively affects the protagonist’s mind and action within the text.

Actions (login required)