Bailey, Alicia Jade (2025) “It’s so confusing sometimes to be a girl” (Charli XCX) An exploration of the link between Girlhood, Queerness, and Survival as shown in The Wilds and Yellowjackets. Masters thesis, York St John University.

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Abstract

Using primary texts of The Wilds and Yellowjackets, this thesis aims to evaluate the connection between concepts of girlhood and queerness, within the context of survival. Both concepts of physical survival and political survival are considered within the contexts of survival narratives, alongside the Gothic and coming of age narratives.

The Wilds and Yellowjackets were released at a similar time in the 2020s, and the politics of that period are reflected in the dominance of patriarchal structures within each narrative. Both texts isolate groups of girls from cisheteropatriarchal society through plane crashes into the wilderness, and this isolation allows for the evaluation of the effect of patriarchal expectations on the girls in both shows. I consider the use of flashbacks and different timelines to show the continued patriarchal surveillance and the consequential trauma that this causes.

I analyse aspects of the texts themselves to examine the effect that patriarchal control has over concepts of girlhood and queerness. I also consider the inherent connection between girlhood and queerness and examine representation of both at length, discussing how the queer representation found in both texts affects audience in terms of authenticity.

Using direct critical responses to the texts, and critical work about broader concepts, I discuss how The Wilds and Yellowjackets allow for audiences of queer girls to see authentic representation of themselves, which is still rare to see in media. Fundamentally, my research discusses how these texts make space to explore spaces outside of patriarchal control, using the wilderness as a key concept and facilitator for this exploration and representation of minority groups

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Status:	Published
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0080 Criticism
School/Department:	School of Humanities
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/15295

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