Jamie Hammel Culver
The Campus Queen in Literature and Culture: Prom Queen Profiles explores the nuanced relationship between femininity and power and provides a scholarly framework for understanding the evolution of the prom queen’s archetypal ubiquity. Semantically, the titles are nearly synonymous-prom queen, homecoming queen, winterfest princess-as all denote the longstanding tradition in the United States of conferring royal status upon teenage popularity. Yet whatever we call it, high school royalty remains one of the most paradoxical realities of youth culture, for as fervently as it gets dismissed and discredited, it is just as frequently revered and respected. A physical manifestation of the student body’s collective hegemonic efforts, the campus queen occupies a significant space in literature and culture, excavating truths both timeless and telling. A signature survey of the genre, this study traces the historical underpinnings and cultural implications of the campus queen, examining the longevity of the archetype and ultimately reimagining the narrative for future generations.
