Eutopian impulse and representation of LGBTQ+ adolescents in contemporary italian, french, and british young adult fiction

This thesis explores the representation of LGBTQ+ adolescents in contemporary Young Adult fiction from Italy, France, and the UK. The thesis adopts a comparative methodology, mixing Queer Studies in YA fiction with Utopian Studies to analyse the representation of LGBTQ+ adolescents in different national contexts. This combination provides an innovative perspective, allowing for the exploration of both the lived challenges and idealised outcomes faced by queer characters. The study establishes the relevance of utopian studies in YA literature. The choice of Italian, British, and French subcorpora allows for a multi-level analysis, revealing how different societies’ contexts affect the representation of LGBTQ+ characters. Each subcorpus is carefully curated with representative titles from 2019 to 2022, ensuring the contemporary aspect of the study. The Italian novels - Colpo su colpo (Riccardo Gazzaniga, Rizzoli, 2019), Con le ali sbagliate (Gabriele Clima, Uovonero, 2020) and Un'Alice come un'altra (Alice T., Giunti, 2022) - present isolated, often negative environments. In contrast, British works - Loveless (Alice Oseman, HarperCollins, 2020), Boy Queen (George Lester, Macmillan Children's Books, 2020) and Ace of Spades (Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Feiwel and Friends, 2021) - are more inclusive, with a variety of queer identities and supportive communities. Lastly, the French titles - It (Catherine Grive, Gallimard, 2019), Romance (Arnaud Cathrine, Robert Laffont, 2020) and Apprivoiser l'été (Marie Boulier, Thierry Magnier, 2022) - represent a hybrid, as they combine inclusivity with family dynamics still partly constrained by traditional and stereotypical roles and mindsets. The thesis concludes that while British and French YA novels demonstrate better representation and support for queer adolescents, Italian literature remains more limited, highlighting more complex social issues. The research highlights the interplay between representation of quality of life and utopian elements, ultimately suggesting that YA fiction functions as a vital platform for imagining more inclusive societies.