Disability, Marginalized Voices, and Identity in R.J. Palacio’s Novel Wonder

Abstract

This study examined the representation of disability, marginalized voices, and identity construction in Wonder as a contemporary American children’s novel. Although children’s literature increasingly promoted diversity and inclusion, disabled characters often remained positioned within dominant social narratives that limited their agency and subjectivity. This study investigated how disability was represented through marginalized voices and how marginalized experiences shaped the protagonist’s identity. The study employed a qualitative descriptive approach within the framework of literary criticism. Disability studies, stigma theory, and identity theory were integrated to analyze characterization, narrative structure, dialogue, and social interactions presented in the novel. The data were collected through close reading and textual analysis of selected narrative episodes related to discrimination, exclusion, acceptance, and self-recognition. The findings revealed that disability was represented not merely as a physical condition but as a socially constructed identity shaped by stigma, social labeling, and institutional responses. The study also found that experiences of marginalization, including peer rejection, family support, and social acceptance, significantly influenced the protagonist’s identity formation and self-recognition. These findings demonstrated that children’s literature functioned as an inclusive narrative space that amplified marginalized voices and challenged dominant ableist perspectives.