GRAND(MAL): A COLLECTION OF EPILEPTIC ESSAYS
Abstract
This thesis chronicles Amanda Stack’s experiences with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy, her maternal grandmother’s experiences with epilepsy, the relationship between epilepsy and eugenics, and what it truly means to inherit, or pass down, a neurological disorder. When tackling the relationship between epilepsy and eugenics, there is one main character: Carrie Buck. Carrie Buck was the plaintiff in the 1927 Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell, which resulted in Carrie’s colonization and sterilization, along with the sterilization and colonization of tens of thousands of other epileptics, after supporters of the Eugenics movement “proved” that Carrie, her mother, and her infant daughter were all “feeble-minded.” This thesis details how epilepsy and epileptics have been misunderstood throughout history and still are today, with the most common misconceptions being that epileptics are stupid and unfit to be parents. Lastly, this thesis uncovers the real effects epilepsy has on a family bloodline.
Description
This thesis has been embargoed for 10 years and will not be available until May 2028 at the earliest.
Keywords
Epilepsy, Eugenics, Inheritance, Fertility, Personal essay, Essay collection