Sponsored Silence: Literary Selective Mutism in Children's Fiction

Abstract:Many contemporary children's novels follow this pattern: a traumatic event; a child who stops speaking; a crisis; the child speaks. These texts falsely claim to represent selective mutism. I propose the term "literary selective mutism" (LSM) to reflect the translation of this disorder in children's literature. Literary selective mutism has its own causes, symptoms, and treatment. It generates a particular plot structure and cast of characters. A disability studies perspective allows us to critique the way texts featuring LSM use this condition as a metaphor to focus on questions of silence, voice, and power.