The (Re)Generational Potential of the Orphan Figure in Literature
The concept of orphanhood may reveal a liminal yet productive state between figures, identities, homes, cultures and languages, exposing fertile spaces for crafting (re)generative views of self and other through literary texts. As characters, orphans may become queered figures, pointing back to the vulnerable state of childhood itself; as protagonists, orphans have also been connected to the concept of the hero (Rose-Emily Rothenberg), the role of the laborer, and the emotional “regeneration” of adults (Claudia Nelson).