The Owl House: Queerness and Witchcraft in Modern Media

Author

Gray E. Takahashi, Otterbein UniversityFollow

Date of Award

3-2023

Document Type

Honors Paper

Degree Name

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies - BA

Department

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Advisor

Tammy Birk

First Committee Member

Suzanne Ashworth

Second Committee Member

Karen Steigman

Keywords

LGBTQ+, Queer Studies, Gender Studies, Witchcraft, Pop Culture

Subject Categories

American Popular Culture | Higher Education | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Visual Studies

Abstract

The Owl House is a groundbreaking television series on Disney Channel created by Dana Terrace. The show follows Luz, a young human, as she makes a new home for herself in a magical realm called the Boiling Isles. (Vorrasi-Banis 102). Within the series, there are many queer elements, in terms of literal LGBTQ+ representation as well as in a more expansive and critical sense. The Owl House is unique because of its willingness to break and queer a multitude of social conventions. This paper examines the evolution of the witch as both figure and trope of patriarchal resistance as well as how The Owl House provides a modern version of witchcraft that practically and symbolically rejects traditional gender roles and happiness scripts that arise from normativity. Specifically, it will investigate how The Owl House queers witchcraft as well as how it queers characters, gender, capitalism, and family to create a trailblazing critique of normativity.

Licensing Permission

Copyright, all rights reserved. Fair Use

Recommended Citation

Takahashi, Gray E., "The Owl House: Queerness and Witchcraft in Modern Media" (2023). Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects. 148.
https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/stu_honor/148

Acknowledgement 1

1

Acknowledgement 2

1