The Mixed Pleasures of Geek Love.

This article analyzes Katherine Dunn's 1989 novel *Geek Love* to explore how sentimentalism shapes cultural narratives about family, disability, and parental sacrifice. It discusses how the novel provocatively subverts traditional sentimental portrayals by depicting a family that deliberately engineers children with disabilities for a traveling freak show, challenging readers' assumptions about love, value, and normalcy. The article also connects these themes to broader critiques of sentimental responses to disability, particularly the emotional dynamics that empower able-bodied viewers while reinforcing ableist and market-driven notions of worth. Ultimately, *Geek Love* reveals the complex interplay of coercion, care, and power within family structures, exposing how love and self-sacrifice can mask control and commodification.