Autism and Refrigerator Mother Theory in Fiction: Pauline Holdstock’s Here I Am!*

Abstract

Disability studies, in the beginning, focused on the visibility of impairments, and autistic characters, who do not show any visible symptoms, were disregarded. A multidisciplinary approach has recently resulted in integrating autism into humanities. Autism needs to be studied extensively in literary works since unjust representation is a major factor that causes neurotypicals to have fixed and prejudiced ideas about autistic individuals. Scientific studies, in the past, shaped and redefined people’s perceptions of autism. The term ‘refrigerator mother’, popularized by Bruno Bettelheim, was mentioned in Leo Kanner’s account of autism in 1943. The lack of motherliness was considered to be the cause of autism, which formed damaging clichés about autistic children’s mothers. Guilt-ridden mothers blamed themselves for their children’s autism. Autism, an inseparable identity, was treated as a negative effect of bad parenthood. Literary works, especially novels, may maintain or eradicate unjust perceptions of autistic children and their parents. This unfounded hypothesis called ‘refrigerator mother theory’ is not sustained today; however, in the past, it damaged the relationships between autistic children and their mothers. Popular opinion was convinced that mothers were to be blamed for autism. This study aims to discuss the relationship between an autistic child and his mother in the novel Here I Am! by Pauline Holdstock, a British-Canadian writer. It is clear that this unfounded hypothesis is not supported and reflected in the selected novel since the author offers the reader an intimate mother and son relationship in the novel which is in contrast with the typical cold and aloof mother with high intelligence and a needy child.

Keywords

• Autism
• Pauline Holdstock
• disability studies
• Here I Am!
• refrigerator mother theory

Project Number

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Kurgusal Eserlerde Otizm Ve Buzdolabı Anne Teorisi: Pauline Holdstock’ın Here I Am! Adlı Romanı

Abstract

Engellilik çalışmaları, başlangıçta engelliliğin görünürlüğüne odaklanmış ve herhangi bir görünür belirti göstermeyen otistik karakterler göz ardı edilmiştir. Çok disiplinli bir yaklaşım, son zamanlarda otizmin beşeri bilimlerle bütünleşmesiyle sonuçlanmıştır. Haksız temsil, nörotipiklerin otistik bireyler hakkında sabit ve önyargılı fikirlere sahip olmasına neden olan büyük bir etken olduğundan otizmin edebi eserlerde kapsamlı bir şekilde incelenmesi gerekmektedir. Geçmişte yürütülen bilimsel araştırmalar, insanların otizm algılarını şekillendirmiş ve yeniden tanımlamıştır. Bruno Bettelheim tarafından popüler hâle getirilen ‘buzdolabı anne’ terimi, Leo Kanner’ın 1943’teki otizmi incelediği çalışmasında ilk defa ortaya konulmuştur. Annelik duygusunun eksikliği, otizmin nedeni olarak görülmüş ve bu bakış açısı, otistik çocukların anneleri hakkında zarar veren klişeler oluşturmuştur. Kendilerini suçlu hisseden anneler, çocuklarının otizmi için kendilerini suçlamışlardır. Ayrılmaz bir kimlik olan otizm, kötü ebeveynliğin olumsuz bir etkisi olarak ele alınmıştır. Edebi eserler, özellikle romanlar, otistik çocukların ve ebeveynlerinin haksız temsillerini sürdürebilir veya ortadan kaldırabilir. ‘Buzdolabı anne teorisi’ olarak adlandırılan bu temelsiz hipotez bugün sürdürülemez bir durumdadır; ancak geçmişte otistik çocuklar ile anneleri arasındaki ilişkilere büyük zarar vermiştir. Yaygın görüş, annelerin otizmin sebebi olarak suçlanması gerekliliği olmuştur. Bu çalışmada, İngiliz-Kanadalı yazar Pauline Holdstock tarafından yazılan Here I Am! romanında, otistik çocuk ve annesi arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Seçilen romanda, bu temelsiz hipotezin desteklenmediği ve yansıtılmadığı açıktır; çünkü yazar, zeki fakat soğuk ve ilgisiz anne tiplemesine zıt olarak sıcak bir anne-çocuk ilişkisiokuyucuya sunmaktadır

Keywords

• Otizm
• engellilik çalışmaları
• buzdolabı anne teorisi

Supporting Institution

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Project Number

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Thanks

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