Julia Isler

I am interested in the ways that narrative forms structure our responses to the inequalities of capitalist systems. How do narrative forms—and especially those narrative forms that are so familiar as to be invisible, such as the underdog plot and the family drama—formalize what we consider “appropriate” or “natural” emotional responses to conflicts, whether they be interpersonal or on a larger social scale? In my dissertation, “Anti-Underdogs: Capitalism and Narrative Form,” I argue that the underdog plot is a tool of capitalist systems that encourages labourers to compete with their peers, rather than engaging in collective political action.