A Fractured Mind : A Literary Analysis of Theory of Mind through Narrative Discourse inJohn Green’s Turtles All the Way Down and a Discussion of Reader-Response Theory as a Pedagogical Tool.

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines how John Green’s novel, Turtles All the Way Down, portrays obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD) through its narrative discourse, and how this portrayal can be usedpedagogically in the Swedish upper secondary English classroom. Drawing on GérardGenette’s concepts of duration, frequency, and mood, combined with Theory of Mind, thisstudy aims to analyse how the main character, Aza Holmes’ spiralling thoughts and compulsivebehaviours are presented in the novel’s structure and form. The analysis demonstrates howpauses in narrative time, repetitive narration, and intense internal focalisation mirror Aza’simpaired mind. This thesis further argues that the novel holds pedagogical value in teachingliterature by integrating reader-response theory, where teachers can use the novel to supportstudents’ language acquisition whilst also fostering socioemotional learning.