WRITING FOR CHANGE: THE CASE FOR NARRATIVE PERSUASION TECHNIQUES

Narrative persuasion refers to the process by which people alter their attitudes and beliefs to match that of information provided in a narrative. Studies on the narrative tools contributing to attitude and belief change in the reader have produced results that provide direction for writers seeking to influence and inform the public. In this paper, I explore the narrative persuasion techniques used in two examples of Australian contemporary young adult texts designed to foster empathy for a marginalised group. These fictional works include Boy Overboard (Gleitzman 2002) and The Bone Sparrow (Fraillon 2016), both of which criticise Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers. The results of this research have informed the creative work for my PhD thesis, Boundless Plains, which focuses on the issue of Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, with an emphasis on boat arrivals.