American literature -- Hispanic American authors; Masculinity
This thesis focuses on how the male-male relationships in contemporary Latino novels by Piri Thomas, Abraham Rodriguez, Jr., Junot Díaz, Arturo Islas, and John Rechy help or hurt the protagonists’ developing masculinity and overall sense of...
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the use of marriage as a literary device in William Trevor's short fiction. Trevor has continually questioned the essence of matrimony in moral and psychological terms, attempting to define marriage and...
Conrad, Joseph, 1857-1924 -- Criticism and interpretation; Racism in literature
The purpose of this thesis is to examine Joseph Conrad's ironic use of racism in Almayer's Folly (1895), Heart of Darkness (1902), and The Nigger of the Narcissus (1898), in which he subverts many of the racist stereotypes about people of color...
Said, Edward W; Orientalism in literature; India -- Fiction
In his ground-breaking books, Orientalism and Culture and Imperialism, Edward Said explains how the Eastern, colonized other was textually created by the imperial powers that controlled them. Specifically, Western experts on and creators of texts...
Languages, Modern -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- United States; Education, Elementary -- Parent participation -- United States
Even though studies have shown numerous cognitive and social benefits from early foreign language education, Foreign Languages in Elementary School (FLES) is still a recurrent topic of debate. The key issues involved with FLES focus on...
This examination of Nobody, a punning image in words and pictures of an imaginary person without a torso, was initiated by how often he appeared in different guises in the English satirical prints of the eighteenth century. For many years Nobody...
English language -- Slang; Homosexuality -- Attitudes; Sociolinguistics
There have been forays into research on reclamation of slurs by the very groups against whom they would be used, and also into differences in perception between native and non-native speakers of a language. This study attempts to unite these two...
Typically, scholars approach Holocaust literature with a focus solely on history or on trauma theory. And yet, as I propose in 'The Holocaust's Literary Perpetrator,' these modes of examination are not sufficient in their explanations of blame. ...
Atwood, Margaret, 1939- -- Criticism and interpretation; Atwood, Margaret, 1939- -- Characters -- Women
Canadian novelist and poet, Margaret Atwood, argues that survival is the main theme commonly found in Canadian literature. The purpose of this thesis is to examine this theory of 'survival' in Margaret Atwood's own work. Atwood states in her...
Joyce, James, 1882-1941. Ulysses -- Criticism and interpretation; Deconstruction
This thesis examines James Joyce's Ulysses using the basis of deconstruction. Instead of merely deconstructing the language of Joyce's text through examples, words, and fragments, this thesis attempts to find meaning through deconstructing those...
The purpose of this thesis is to prove that Kate Chopin's earlier heroines are, although not fully developed, precursors to Edna Pontellier, a character Chopin created at the end of her career in The Awakening. All of Chopin's fiction takes place...
Faulkner, William, 1897-1962; Kesey, Ken; Time in literature
The purpose of this thesis is to examine William Faulkner's and Ken Kesey's rendering of time through the theme of the past. Time for Faulkner and Kesey is not orderly and it does not follow a linear or chronological pattern. They argue instead...
Psychic trauma in literature; Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945), in literature; Gender identity in literature
The project, "The Limits of Language: Gender, Trauma and the Holocaust," contributes a new theoretical reading regarding Holocaust literature. Traditionally, gender studies have provided insight into gendered responses to trauma, but not...
Malory, Thomas, Sir, 15th cent. Morte d'Arthur; Lancelot (Legendary character) -- Romances -- History and criticism
Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur depicts characters facing problems of identity. Chief among them, Sir Lancelot faces temporary madness when overwhelmed by the incompatible roles he plays in Arthur's court. A useful theoretical lens for...
Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937 -- Criticism and interpretation; James, Henry, 1843-1916 -- Criticism and interpretation; Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882 -- Influence; Social Darwinism in literature
Upon its publication in 1859, Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species revolutionized the worlds of science, religion and literature. Many nineteenth-century authors immersed themselves in transposing scientific ideas onto their literary...
American literature -- Mexican American authors -- History and criticism; Mexican Americans -- Ethnic identity -- In literature
The purpose of this thesis is to explore the complexities surrounding the acceptance of personal and cultural identity for protagonists in Chicano/a literature. By way of close reading analysis and methodological comparison, I delve into three...
Dickinson, Emily, 1830-1886 -- Criticism and interpretation
The purpose of this thesis is to prove that Dickinson characterized her poetic discourse with unique figurative manipulations as well as autonomous stylistic and prosodic techniques to serve a process of poetic dismantlement of her contemporary...