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Falling Down The Rabbit Hole: World Building In Ya Literature, Claire Webb

Undergraduate Honors Theses

World building is a key component to many young adult novels, but what is world building and what are some different styles and techniques that authors use when constructing fictional universes? In this thesis, Falling Down the Rabbit Hole: World Building Techniques in YA Literature, I will examine Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865), The Princess Bride by William Goldman (1973), and my own unpublished novel, The Sun Kingdom, to compare different techniques and styles of world building. These works will be explored through the aspect of world building, focusing specifically on the importance of the geography, language, …

Heart Of Golde, Joely Bowman

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Heart of Golde is a female coming-of-age story centered around Jyn Taryn, who lost her mother and her early memories in a tragic car accident 15 years before the story begins. She struggles with feeling at "home" anywhere in the world. When she discovers her mother's name written in an old poetry book, her curiosities lead her to the home of Edward Golde, her father. While there, she is forced to come face to face with the past she never thought she would be able to remember. Room by room, memory by memory, Jyn puts the pieces of her past …

What Is The Female Gaze In Literature?, Cadence Dangerfield

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Just as Laura Mulvey defined the male gaze, feminist scholars are constantly working to identify a female gaze in visual arts and literature. Does it exist? This project works to answer the following questions: What is the female gaze? Is it simply the male gaze in reverse, or is it something more, a lens encompassing the desire of intimacy instead of an inherent sexual desire? To find the answer, or at least one possible answer that I can situate myself and my writing into, I plan to read both fiction and scholarship and write utilizing a female character as she …

20 Things, Reann Parker

Honors Theses

20 Things is a short young adult novel that explores a variety of topics and themes, from mental health, recovery, and self discovery to race, love, and friendship. Beginning with a high school girl named Halle waking up in a hospital after a suicide attempt, the novel is a coming of age story about the help Halle receives and what she goes through in trying to find reasons to keep living. The novel is divided into ten chapters: “Waking Up,” “Going Home,” “Arriving,” “Being Honest,” “Keeping the Faith,” “Soul Searching,” “Willingness,” “Maintaining,” “Checking In,” and “Living.” Each chapter represents the …

A Path Unfolding, Sarah Lucille Parris

MSU Graduate Theses

A selection from A Path Unfolding, an original young adult fantasy novel about a girl named Al, who strives to fulfil a prophecy in order to restore the natural order in the magical land of Anthe. Preceded by a critical introduction detailing the genre and craft influences on the work. The novel explores themes of truth and deception, and asks the questions of what, exactly, it means to be a ‘chosen one’.

Tree Song, Amie Elizabeth Case

MSU Graduate Theses

The Grace that flows through the three realms is fractured, and it’s Mauhiyn’s fault. She is a Daughter, the only living and direct descendant of the line of women who are vessels for the Grace that sustains the realms in a state of perfect balance. Because Mauhiyn is the first Daughter unable to carry the Grace, she is blamed for the turmoil and darkness in the realms. King Darbrend of the western realm claims Mauhiyn’s Grace is simply dormant, not absent. Mauhiyn is sent to King Darbrend with the hopes that his dark power will restore the Grace within her …

Life: Told By Death, Shannan Rivera

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

Life: Told by Death is the story of Sam, a reluctant reaper of souls who isn’t cut out for his fate. This novel follows him from his unwitting entrance into the life of a reaper to his struggle with his new existence and all the way through to his eventual escape into the afterlife.

Fortune Glen, Breea N. Schutt

MSU Graduate Theses

A fairy may not be able to lie, but that doesn’t mean they’re always honest. Marine’s former classmate is dead—and this isn’t your typical 48-hour mystery. The crime scene is Fortune Glen, a realm populated by fairies who take great pride in their unique abilities, their inability to tell lies, and their peaceful behavior. Well, until now.

Marine is the only one who knows about this murder, and she plans to keep it that way— at least until she’s figured out who’s behind this travesty. When Marine is assigned a mission in the human realm, she does the unthinkable and …

Paper Memories: A Visual Memoir, Stephanie Trinidad

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Adolescence can be considered one of the hardest times in any person's life. Growing up, we are confronted with two very different possibilities of how our lives will turn out. One is the flawless version that is continuously on display in television series and movies. The other is the real-world version where a person is questioned and ridiculed for everything they’ve done. News headlines about students who, under pressure from their peers, take their own lives are a common occurrence. The focus of many of these headlines is on the bullies and on whether prosecution is possible for the crime …

The Taming Of The Bull, Mark Zavala

Theses and Dissertations

This work is an original manuscript composed of fictional vignettes compiled together to produce an interconnected novel. The works includes the effects, issues, and culture that encompass the borderland of the Rio Grande Valley. The young protagonist experiences loss, isolation, self-realization, friendship, and the importance of family and friends, all within the context of the unique culture of south Texas.

The Montagnards, Jarred J. Marlatt

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Year Two Thousand, Emily Cahill

Senior Theses and Projects

A senior thesis exploring the confluence of the Columbine Massacre, Y2K, and terrorism in the lives of three young adults.

Return To Sender, Katherine Noelle Nypaver

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Return to Sender is a fictional short story that illustrates the potential consequences of neglecting to take others seriously. River Ellison, a high school senior at St. Jude’s Academy struggling with depression and habitual self-harm, receives a note from his peer regarding his thoughts on suicide. His ordinary school day transforms into twenty-four hours of repercussions that force River to see his peer for what she is—an equal. Prefacing the short story, my critical essay explains why I find C.D. Payne, John Green, Jesse Andrews, and J.D. Salinger so inspiring to the young adult literature world. I also analyze how …

Everything Nobody Knew, Annarose Bottos

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

To Soar Above The Apple Grove: Stories, Emily V. Doseck

All NMU Master's Theses

The stories written for this thesis revolve around the idea of lesbian characters finding, and in some cases losing, love in the young adult genre. Each piece differs in time period and setting, but all take the typical ‘tragic’ stereotype of queer fiction and prove that everyone deserves a chance at love. All three pieces also contain elements of magic, ranging from the black magic associated with the witches of Salem to the whimsical magic of fairy tales. First love is a time of discovery and new joy for so many, and queer literature could use more of these positive …

Somewhat Damaged And Interrogating The Incubus : Sleep Paralysis Explored In The Young Adult Novel, 'Somewhat Damaged', Lauren Payne

Theses : Honours

This thesis, comprising an excerpt from my young adult paranormal novel ‘Somewhat Damaged’ and an essay, examines the mythic potential of sleep paralysis, a paralytic transitory state between sleep and consciousness during which frightening hallucinations are projected onto the waking environment. While the neurophysiology is generally agreed upon, further investigation is warranted on the anomalous phenomena that manifests during sleep paralysis hallucinations. Within the theoretical framework of psychoanalysis, particularly Carl Jung’s collective unconscious theory (1959), I will imaginatively explore the recurring figure of the ‘incubus’ of sleep paralysis that has provoked ubiquitous fear and ambiguity. The essay will describe the …

Clover, Christopher L. Flores

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Strange Fire, Sharon Nelson

LSU Master's Theses

In the aftermath of a worldwide war, the planet Xica is split into small pockets of humanoid civilization. One pocket is a divided abandoned military compound. Beyond the wall is the Outer Rim where people are free yet violence is rampant. Within the wall is the state of Sheol whose inhabitants are drugged and have few choices. Sheol’s ruler, Jared, conducts an experiment where children are raised without physical contact in the Complex at the center of the city. One boy, Zahid, escapes from the Complex and meets other children; Nick in Sheol and Alexandra in the Outer Rim. Together, …