Beneath the look; A life in care: Reflections upon a childhood of conclusions; A critique of an adult life born out of the care system

McGrath, Seosamh 2021. Beneath the look; A life in care: Reflections upon a childhood of conclusions; A critique of an adult life born out of the care system. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

	PDF (Critical Component) - Accepted Post-Print Version Download (1MB)
	PDF (Cardiff University Electronic Publication Form) - Supplemental Material Restricted to Repository staff only Download (119kB)

Abstract

This work of nonfiction examines the portraiture of children delivered into the care system by their mothers and their experiences of long-term fostering and adoption as presented in contemporary memoir and autobiographical narratives. The work seeks to explore the consequences and long-term outcomes of childhood experiences upon the adult self. The research attempts an exposé of the hidden emotional lives beneath the texts. The thesis studies the ethicality of writing about connected and identifiable others, the truths and non-truths that emerge and the impact upon the narratives’ authenticity. The question of transparency and the enmeshment of multiple genres is examined. The work focuses on how the authors narrate their stories, the potential for social change, and new ways of thinking about children in care and the adults who emerge from the care system experience. Keywords: nonfiction, fiction, memoir, autobiography, autofiction, fostering, adoption, attachment, separation, truth, non-truth, ethicality, authenticity, communication.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	English, Communication and Philosophy
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	22 September 2021
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2022 01:32
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/144339

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item