Echoes of Identity and Structures of Belonging: Relational Neurodivergence in Every Last Word

Abstract: Recent literary depictions of mental health have begun to move past the dominance of clinical discourse by presenting the subjective reality of neurodivergent individuals. Tamara Ireland Stone’s Every Last Word provides an important literary example of one such depiction by presenting the case of Samantha McAllister and her struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Stone’s novel goes “beyond classifying OCD as a psychological disorder and focuses on the intersections of one’s identity, emotionality, social inclusiveness, and artistic self-presentation. This paper will introduce the idea of Relational Neurodivergence to frame Samantha’s case beyond the confines of existing diagnostic frameworks. It will be highlighted that Samantha’s neurodivergent case is not solely embodied by the presence of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, but is constructed by her family, friendships, and her Poetry Club, which function as places of recognition, belonging, and emotional accommodation. Using perspectives from neurodivergence studies, narrative and health humanities, relational identity studies, and young adult mental health literature, this paper will analyze how the novel turns the focus from pathology to person. It will be shown that literature uniquely communicates the emotional intricacy of covert mental illness to readers, fostering empathy and breaking the stigma associated with it.