Never Ending Spirals and A Million Selves : A literary analysis of Turtles All the Way Down by John Green and a discussion of promoting empathy and understanding of OCD through metaphors and allegories in an EFL setting

Sammanfattning

This thesis provides a literary analysis of Turtles All the Way Down, a novel written by John Green and published in 2017. The aim was to study how the novel can be used to teach the importance of knowledge around OCD through recognition and empathy in the EFL classroom. The analysis has been conducted through the literary devices of metaphors and allegories, drawing on the theory of medical humanities as well as the pedagogical framework of narrative empathy. Moreover, benefits and implications of implementing the novel in the EFL classroom using this analytical angle have been discussed. The analysis shows that the many metaphors and allegories included in the novel may be used to teach sensitive topics and promote empathy, focusing on OCD. Some of said metaphors and allegories deal with spiralling intrusive thoughts, doubt of the self and existential crisis which are themes often connected with mental health issues. These metaphors and allegories were thus shown to depict sensitive topics that many students may recognise from personal experience or from someone within close proximity, making it a valuable basis for encouraging, discussing and developing empathy.