International Journal of Language & Literature

Women Suffering from Anorexia Nervosa in Julia Bell’s Massive and Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Berna Köseoğlu

Abstract
Women have been suffering from anorexia nervosa/anorexia (self-starvation), which threatens both physical and psychological health. Though it has been asserted that psychological disorders cause anorexia, the recent studies about the relationship between mental and physical well-being affirm that it is anorexia which initiates mental problems. Since insufficient nourishment destroys not only the body but also the mind, it can also be claimed that food deprivation affects psychological disorders as well. Anorexia, which deteriorates the health and the social life of a lot of women, has also been one of the most popular topics of discussion problematised in literature. In this article, the vulnerable condition of female characters suffering from anorexia in Julia Bell‘s Massive and Laurie Halse Anderson‘s Wintergirls, will be analysed in the light of psychiatric studies reflecting the correlation between anorexia and psychological disorders, so what will be discussed is whether mental disorders trigger anorexia or anorexia triggers psychological disorders.

Full Text: PDF      DOI: 10.15640/ijll.v10n1a9