Diagnosing Dr. House: Codependency, Agency, and Third Wave Contradiction

Abstract

This essay is a critical feminist analysis that addresses a popular culture representation of agency, codependency, and addiction. This perspective illuminates how the television series, House M.D., uses supporting characters to construct codependency as third wave feminist contradiction that produces various levels of agency. Systematic oppression of codependent characters occurs through representations of exaggerated femininity or masculinity as weakness, unprofessional behavior in the workplace, and reliance on the behavior of the addict. The implications of the objectification of the supporting characters that have been granted contradictory agency suggests a metacontradiction for the series itself.

Ahab Güneş’e, House Tanrı’ya Karşı: Ağrısız Hayat

“…Gregory House's resemblance to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's renowned character Sherlock Holmes has been discussed or mentioned in various papers (Amaro, 2012;Lepre, 2014;Rich et al, 2008). For instance, Rich et al, state: "House may be a hero, but he is a tragic hero.…”