Urša Marinšek

Abstract

This thesis examines the representations of tuberculosis (in short TB) in 20th- and 21st-century American and Canadian literature, with a particular focus on narratives by and about marginalized groups, specifically Black and Indigenous peoples. By analyzing a diverse range of texts, including novels, memoirs, and diaries, this project seeks to uncover how these narratives reflect and challenge societal attitudes toward tuberculosis, while addressing issues of systemic racism, social justice, and health equity. 

Tuberculosis, often perceived as a disease of the past in Western societies, remains a significant global health concern in the present, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities, including Black and Indigenous people. Historical and contemporary data reveal that tuberculosis continues to impact non-white populations in the United States and Canada at higher rates, exacerbated by structural inequalities in healthcare access and treatment. This thesis situates tuberculosis narratives within their social, cultural, and historical contexts, exploring how they spotlight the lived experiences of tuberculosis patients and critique the systemic injustices that the patients experience. 

A central focus of the project are sanatoria narratives, narratives where tuberculosis patients spend significant amounts of time in sanatoria. Sanatoria are institutions where patients are isolated from the rest of the world and are subject to strict medical regimes and institutional control. These narratives often highlight themes of rest and treatment, while also sharing experiences of confinement, isolation, trauma, and systemic discrimination. By analyzing these narratives, the thesis investigates how tuberculosis narratives intersect with issues of race gender, class, and identity, particularly in the context of the discriminatory treatment of Black and Indigenous patients in sanatoria and the broader healthcare system. 

The research draws on American literary and cultural studies, gender studies, medical humanities, and genre studies. This thesis contributes to American literary and cultural studies, and the growing field of medical humanities by emphasizing the importance of patient narratives in understanding the cultural and temporal dimensions of medicine. It highlights how literature serves as powerful medium for exploring the lived experiences of illness, fostering empathy, and critiquing systemic inequities. By exploring and centering the voices of Black and Indigenous patients, the study challenges dominant “white” narratives of tuberculosis and offers a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of the disease’s history and cultural significance.

Betreuung: Prof. Dr. Ulla Kriebernegg