Performing Neuroqueerness: Analyzing the Representation of Autism Masking and Unmasking in Heartbreak High

Abstract

This thesis investigates the portrayal of autism, specifically the processes of masking and unmasking, through the character of Quinn, an autistic queer woman, in the Australian teen series "Heartbreak High" (2022–present). Viewed through a neuroqueer lens, the study explores how the portrayal challenges dominant media narratives by presenting neurodivergence, especially autism, as fluid, emotionally rich, and socially situated, rather than fixed or pathological. Utilizing Richard Dyer’s textual analysis approach, balancing formal aesthetics with socio-ideological critique, the study analyzes how narrative structure and formal elements convey Quinn’s sensory and emotional experiences. Through close readings of pivotal scenes across two seasons, the thesis identifies three evolving phases in Quinn’s character arc: masking, transitioning, and unmasking. These are framed not as linear steps but as dynamic and ongoing responses to societal pressures. Drawing from disability media studies, as well as theories of neuroqueerness, gender performativity, and intersectionality, the thesis conceptualizes masking as a socially compelled performance shaped by neuronormative, gendered, and heteronormative expectations. In contrast, unmasking is interpreted as a form of neuroqueering, which is an act of resistance that destabilizes normative scripts around identity, emotion, and social behavior. Crucially, the analysis argues that "Heartbreak High" not only depicts neuroqueerness but also performs it through its aesthetic and narrative choices, rejecting clear resolutions and embracing difference and individuality in both characters and storytelling. However, this thesis also contends that such neuroqueer storytelling warrants critical observation: performing neuroqueerness can itself become a kind of performance. In other words, the representation of unmasking still falls short in fully depicting Quinn’s unmasking traits, making her appear distant from her friends, even though she engages in the same behaviors (e.g., being self-absorbed and drinking excessively). Nonetheless, her unmasking is portrayed not as a triumphant resolution, but as a risky and incomplete refusal to keep playing by rules that were never made for her. This positions "Heartbreak High" as a valuable case study in how popular media can push against dominant narratives and make space for lived neurodivergent experience, which remains complex, uneven, and defiantly visible.