Improving Metacognition Through Utilizing Disability Literature

Abstract

This thesis aims to showcase how one can incorporate disability representation in literature in the classroom by teaching Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon. These novels should be utilised in schools to have disability literature represented whilst simultaneously improving pupils’ metacognition. This thesis has analysed and reflected upon the lack of a diagnosis in both novels and how this impacts the story as well as the reader. Whilst examining the novels, I have highlighted how disability representation can vary from one another as the novels portray disability differently. The main focus of this thesis is to showcase how these novels have been interpreted in different ways because of their portrayal of disability. Since they were published during various time periods, it varied how much they were accepted. This thesis wishes to underline the importance of utilising disability literature in the classroom as it can strengthen the pupils’ metacognition by reading literature that can differ from themselves, as well as reading literature they can relate to.