Epistolary Narration and the Construction of Neurodivergent Identity in Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!

Abstract

Neurodivergent individuals have historically been represented through deficit-based clinical frameworks that marginalize their voices and deny them self-determination. This paper examines the role of epistolary narration in constructing neurodivergent identity in Sarah Kapit’s children’s novel Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! (2020). Using The Neurodiversity Paradigm as a theoretical framework, it investigates how the epistolary form enables the protagonist, an autistic girl navigating social expectations to engage in a communicative mode that suits her cognitive strengths. This explores how letter writing functions as a reflective and structured alternative to normative verbal communication, allowing the protagonist to articulate her thoughts with clarity and self-determination. It further examines how epistolary narration facilitates identity construction, enabling the protagonist to resist clinical categorization and assert an individuality grounded in her own lived experiences, interests and aspirations. The paper also demonstrates how letter writing builds meaningful social relationships that extend beyond deficit-oriented interactional norms. This study contends that the epistolary form in the novel challenges dominant assumptions about autistic communication and identity, positioning neurodivergence as a legitimate and enriching mode of human experience.