Secret Scenario: Engaging with Mental Health Stigma in Young Adult Dystopia

Abstract

This thesis is composed of a seventy-five thousand word novel entitled Secret Scenario, which is a young adult dystopian novel exploring themes of mental health and stigma, and an accompanying twenty-four thousand word critical essay that reflects on the writing process of the novel.

Secret Scenario is the second novel in a young adult trilogy, following on from Nightmare Scenario. In Secret Scenario, Gracie finds Kai, the real version of one of her
hallucinations, and together they decide to expose IrukaTech, the technology giant of their world. However, Gracie and Kai are both powerless in this situation. The world is a dystopia, with IrukaTech controlling the government and the citizens of the United Kingdom with their devices, and eventually, their drugs. Once Gracie and Kai realise that IrukaTech may know what they are doing, they run away, spending time in the disused London Underground which the Irukians now inhabit: the people who refuse to submit to IrukaTech’s surveillance methods. While down there, Gracie and Kai grow closer. Their relationship develops in tandem with Kai’s slow revelations about his psychosis and how he views the stigma surrounding it, which has been especially influenced by his Japanese heritage. They try to come up with a plan, but ultimately decide to flee the country to save themselves.

The accompanying critical thesis covers several topics that explore how I portrayed stigma around psychosis, schizophrenia, and suicide ideation in Secret Scenario. It discusses
how I drew on Ursula Le Guin’s theory on the Literalisation of Metaphor to show how experiencing psychosis may feel. I explore how hard it can be for someone to conceptualise
this if they have never experienced it, and this lack of understanding can cause more stigma. I also show how I attempted to use strategic empathy to engage with the reader’s emotions.

I also explore the challenges and opportunities of portraying a character from a different culture, including issues of dialogue and the contrast between how Kai and Gracie
experience mental health stigma. I use Golay’s self-stigma model to showcase how I portrayed stigma in Kai’s character.

Additionally, there is some discussion on how I wrote Secret Scenario for a young adult reader. Writing about psychosis, schizophrenia, and suicidal ideation raises ethical
issues, as this target audience is prone to suicidal ideation and suicide contagion. I outline my approach to these issues and draw on relevant texts to inform my practice.