Reconstructing Mental Health Narratives: A Reader Response Approach to Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64137/31078729/IJLLH-V1I2P105Keywords:
Memoir, Depression, Panic attacks, Genz generation, Reader response approachAbstract
Talking about mental illness is an unavoidable discussion with contemporary youth. They share about it through various short stories, novels, and memoirs. There is a vast branch of literature that has been developed, known as Genz literature. One of the works written is Matt Haig’s Reasons to Stay Alive. It is an account of the author’s personal experience, which recollects the approaches that were helpful in dealing with depression and panic attacks. It provides a deep exploration that will be of greater value for those dealing with such issues. This paper focuses on analysing the memoir from a reader response theory of how the memoir connects with the reader, creating multiple interpretations, encouraging the readers to reflect upon their own experiences and emotions
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