ABSTRACT
By emphasizing individualism and free-market economics, neoliberalism assumes that individuals thrive when they are freed from governmental regulations. This is premised on a second assumption: namely, that individuals compete on a level playing field and succeed as a result of their own unique abilities. Neoliberalism thus erases the role that social constructs, such as race, gender, class, and ability, play in privileging some people and oppressing others. This chapter presents a three-part framework for identifying and critiquing neoliberalism and its attendant ideologies in multicultural young adult fiction. By applying the framework to Francisco X. Stork’s Marcelo in the Real World and examining the stance it has toward institutions, individualism, and interdependence, the authors demonstrate how the novel values a more progressive, inclusive worldview than neoliberalism.
