From Gothic Halls to Modern Walls: A Critical Content Analysis of Power Dynamics in Education Using Dark Academia Novels

This dissertation examined power dynamics within educational institutions through the lens of novels in the dark academia genre. To analyze these dynamics, this study employed critical content analysis, identifying and interrogating how power structures are constructed, sustained, and challenged in six dark academia novels: Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee, Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead, the Truly Devious trilogy by Maureen Johnson, and The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett. Critical theories informed the interpretation of findings in response to four research questions. Through this analysis, five thematic categories emerged: abuse of authority and power, the intersection of technology with power and privilege, institutional surveillance and control, the influence of fraternities and secret societies, and academic pressure and ambition. Additionally, this study considered how dark academia narratives and their authors reflected and critiqued real-world educational institutions, questioning the academy's role as a site of intellectual curiosity and systemic oppression. This research positions dark academia as a literary framework to examine and critique the mechanisms of power, knowledge, and privilege in contemporary education.<p></p>