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Community Construction In The Basic Writing Classroom, Jennifer Nicole Collins
Community Construction In The Basic Writing Classroom, Jennifer Nicole Collins
MSU Graduate Theses
This study analyzed students' perceptions of community construction within the English 100 classroom and university at large as well as analyzed the instructor's role as a "tutor" and the impact this has on students' perceptions of community within the classroom. Composition theorist Kenneth Bruffee proposes that one solution for creating community for basic writers, those students least prepared for the college composition classroom, is peer tutoring. The traditional classroom has not worked for basic writers because it lacks a sense of community. The goal is to change the social context for learning and make it less hierarchical. Given the nature …
Shavian Ethic As Evidenced In Four Major Plays, Carol E. Auterson
Shavian Ethic As Evidenced In Four Major Plays, Carol E. Auterson
MSU Graduate Theses
The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not George Bernard Shaw reflects in his work any sort of moral ethic - a clearly delineated sense of right and wrong - and, if so, what it is and is not. His method, which is classically known as Shavian Method, is the vehicle employed in his stagecraft to achieve the objective of removing obstacles that prevent him from influencing the ethical opinions of others. In his plays, Shaw creates situations that highlight and over-exaggerate particular issues in the Victorian era such as poverty, prostitution, and religious piety. Shaw's plays …
Eastern Flames In The Mind On Fire: A Study Of Eastern And Qur’Anic Influences On Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mohammed Qays Khaleel Alqaisi
Eastern Flames In The Mind On Fire: A Study Of Eastern And Qur’Anic Influences On Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mohammed Qays Khaleel Alqaisi
MSU Graduate Theses
Ralph Waldo Emerson's interest in the east is evident throughout his essays, poems and lectures. He shows his fascination with the eastern cultures, religions and poetry when he quotes from eastern texts to strengthen his ideas, such as the notion of the Over-Soul, illumination, knowledge and nature. He regards the east as an ignored territory of knowledge that contains invaluable wisdom waiting to be explored by western thinkers. As the world witnesses an increasing gap between the east and the west, Emerson represents the universal way of thinking, as he believes in seeking knowledge in every part of the world …
Swamp Boat, Gravy Boat: Memory And Place In Fiction, Kaycie Surrell
Swamp Boat, Gravy Boat: Memory And Place In Fiction, Kaycie Surrell
MSU Graduate Theses
The importance of memory to place is of particular interest to me and forms the basis for the bulk of my work. In my critical introduction I explore the work of authors and essayists who inspire my fiction work through their focus on place and memory. Specific authors include Sandra Cisneros, David Sedaris, and Pam Houston. Through my short fiction pieces I weave together the stories of my childhood from Florida to Missouri into a quilt that covers the important pieces of my life thus far. I am interested in how people are motivated by fear to write around their …
The Visual Rhetoric Of Royalty, Barbara Joann Anderson
The Visual Rhetoric Of Royalty, Barbara Joann Anderson
MSU Graduate Theses
This thesis examines how three British female royals, Queen Elizabeth II, Diana Princess of Wales, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, use visual rhetoric to gain and maintain power in a world where they are rarely allowed to use their actual voices. The female royals use photographs to convey their messages and gain support from the public. Elizabeth's visual agenda of androgyny allows her to gain the authority that her role of sovereign requires, while Diana used pathos to create a connection with a public to emphasize that she was the people's princess. Following their leads, Catherine is learning to use …
The Problem Of Authority In Conservative Evangelical Christianity: A Critique Of American And South Korean Expressions, Harold Arthur Brower Iv
The Problem Of Authority In Conservative Evangelical Christianity: A Critique Of American And South Korean Expressions, Harold Arthur Brower Iv
MSU Graduate Theses
This thesis explores and compares the ways in which the Bible is read, interpreted, and held as an authority by conservative Evangelicals in the United States and South Korea. By examining the history, literary practices, and social systems in each country, I reveal authorities other than the Bible that emerge from Evangelical culture. Discourse theory, reader-response theory, and rhetorical criticism provide the theoretical lenses through which each expression is viewed. My research strategies included: (1) a six month ethnographic project held in two Korean Evangelical communities; and (2) a survey of Korean laity. Data were collected from direct observations, Evangelical …
Gustav Mahler's Kindertotenlieder: Connecting The Movements Of The Song Cycle Through Schenkerian Analysis, Gabriel Quinton Fleetwood
Gustav Mahler's Kindertotenlieder: Connecting The Movements Of The Song Cycle Through Schenkerian Analysis, Gabriel Quinton Fleetwood
MSU Graduate Theses
Gustav Mahler composed the song cycle Kindertotenlieder at the beginning of the 1900s. Depicting a mournful subject based on the poems of Friedrich Rü;ckert, the Lieder explore the different emotions and perspectives of a grieving parent who has lost his children to death. This discussion connects the movements of Mahler's Kindertotenlieder through a discussion of discoveries unveiled through Schenkerian analysis; harmonic, melodic, and motivic connections are highlighted throughout the composition. The tonal centers of the movements are discussed in an effort to illustrate the work as a whole, and not just as individual Lieder.
Gravities, Sierra Faye Sitzes
Gravities, Sierra Faye Sitzes
MSU Graduate Theses
This thesis is an attempt to explore, through the genre of literary fiction, the influence of hometowns and childhood friendships and how the power of these entities result in either an escape or capture. My thesis is the first two parts of my three part novel, Gravities, and introduces the non-linear structure of the narrative as well as set up the antagonist, Charlise Rosengren, for her both literal and figurative fall. The novel's three protagonists—Mae Silva, June Silva, and Anna Spence—are each given a perspective in their own sections containing scenes that exemplify the power both Charlise and their hometown …
The Selfish Law: A Memetic Study Of The Transition From Generational Morality To Individual Morality In Deuteronomy 24:16, Ezekiel 18, And Jeremiah 31:27-30, Jonathan Michael Gracza
The Selfish Law: A Memetic Study Of The Transition From Generational Morality To Individual Morality In Deuteronomy 24:16, Ezekiel 18, And Jeremiah 31:27-30, Jonathan Michael Gracza
MSU Graduate Theses
The transition from generational morality to individual moral responsibility in Judah during King Josiah's time is present in Deuteronomy, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. However, the fact that such an approach to morality would survive a period in which Assyrian, Babylonian, and Hittite cultures exerted cultural pressure on the Israelites to conform is rather astonishing. This thesis applies memetics – a theory that applies evolutionary models to cultural development – to the topic in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of the transition from generational morality to individual moral responsibility. I argue, based on the insights that an evolutionary understanding of …
Investigating The Relationship Between Data Displays, Rhetoric, And Reader Response In Technical Writing, Hanna Louise Landgrebe
Investigating The Relationship Between Data Displays, Rhetoric, And Reader Response In Technical Writing, Hanna Louise Landgrebe
MSU Graduate Theses
This study is meant to deepen the discussion Dragga and Voss began in "Cruel Pies” by exploring the connection between data displays and their ability to evoke or suppress emotional reactions in readers. It begins with a literature review of relevant discussions in ethics and technical writing, and then describes how readers responded to a series of news excerpts—some of which were paired with data displays or photographs—both by answering Likert scale questions and by thinking aloud and responding to written, open-ended questions. Though the quantitative data collected from the Likert scales is not robust enough to make any generalizations, …
Modern Myth And Ideology In David Foster Wallace's The Pale King, Matthew Ryan Stewart
Modern Myth And Ideology In David Foster Wallace's The Pale King, Matthew Ryan Stewart
MSU Graduate Theses
The purpose of this study is to analyze David Foster Wallace's novel The Pale King through the critical lenses of Lubomir Dolezel's Heterocosmica and Louis Althusser's "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses" to arrive at a theory of the heroic in the novel. The Pale King features multiple characters experiencing various crises in the face of an invisible, adversarial force that can be understood through Dolezel's modern myth formulation, in which an invisible domain oppresses characters. This study analyzes three themes of the novel in which this interaction is most observable: the religious, the supernatural, and the civic themes. Althusser's work …
Patsy Sings For Me: Stories, Brenna Elizabeth Womer
Patsy Sings For Me: Stories, Brenna Elizabeth Womer
MSU Graduate Theses
This thesis begins with a critical introduction about the function of place in works of fiction and creative nonfiction. I use quotes from Joan Didion, Flannery O'Connor, Dorothy Allison, and others to support the idea that, though many hold to the belief that people are shaped by place, really it is people who prescribe meaning to landscape and location, not the other way around. Place is at the mercy of memory and language. After the critical introduction, you will find short stories, flash fiction, essay, short memoir, and flash nonfiction. These works were not written with a specific theme in …
Investigating The Growth Of Vocabulary Size And Depth Of Word Knowledge In Iraqi Foreign Language Learners Of English, Akram Basim Mohsin Alfatle
Investigating The Growth Of Vocabulary Size And Depth Of Word Knowledge In Iraqi Foreign Language Learners Of English, Akram Basim Mohsin Alfatle
MSU Graduate Theses
This study examined the growth of vocabulary size and depth of word knowledge in Iraqi foreign language learners of English (EFLs) over four years of university instruction. The secondary objective was to investigate the influence of language learning and practice variables on the lexical growth of Iraqi EFLs. Tools included the Self-Rated Vocabulary Test (measure of vocabulary size, D'Anna, Zechmeister, & Hall, 1991) and the Word Associates Test (measure of depth of word knowledge, Read, 1998). A self-report questionnaire was used to collect demographic information and language learning variables from participants. Following a cross-sectional method, 120 students (N = 120), …
Apocrypha, Robert Taylor Supplee
Apocrypha, Robert Taylor Supplee
MSU Graduate Theses
APOCRYPHA is a poetry portfolio which explores the relationship between knowledge and pain through the examination of Platonic epistemologies, Christian theologies, and Neoplatonic poetry. These poems are inspired by a crisis of faith which necessitated the telling of this story. Pain is then extrapolated into a state of suffering as delineated by theorist Eric Cassell, which then affects the intactness of the authentic self. Official Christian ideology and Christian folk knowledge compete within the foregrounds of knowledge for control over the authentic self of the individual whose pain necessitates the telling of stories, specifically health narratives as described by theorist …
The Need For Neal: The Importance Of Neal Cassady In The Work Of Jack Kerouac, Sydney Anders Ingram
The Need For Neal: The Importance Of Neal Cassady In The Work Of Jack Kerouac, Sydney Anders Ingram
MSU Graduate Theses
Neal Cassady has not been given enough credit for his role in the Beat Generation. This paper discusses Cassady's importance on the life and work of Jack Kerouac, especially focusing on his most famous novel, On the Road. Cassady lent himself as the hero of On the Road and supplied Kerouac with the spontaneous prose style that made him famous. This look at Cassady puts him into the context of the time period in which he lived and in which On the Road was written. Cassady is compared to the ideal American male of the day and those traits are …
Education Policy And Practices Of English As A Foreign Language (Efl) In Iraq, Ihab Razzaq Altufaili
Education Policy And Practices Of English As A Foreign Language (Efl) In Iraq, Ihab Razzaq Altufaili
MSU Graduate Theses
English is the language of trade, finance, science, education, and politics, and several countries have an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) policy to improve their ability to compete. Accordingly, many countries have placed emphasis on EFL and have established an effective teaching methodology as part of that policy. Currently, the Ministry of Education in Iraq has changed their educational policy to start EFL in the first grade and has adopted new textbooks using the communicative language teaching (CLT) approach. The purpose of this research is to study the Iraqi EFL education policy and practices after 2014 by assessing instructor …
Identifying Facebook-, Twitter-, And Instagram-Specific Rhetoric And Interaction: A Case Study, Sharon Kathleen Jones
Identifying Facebook-, Twitter-, And Instagram-Specific Rhetoric And Interaction: A Case Study, Sharon Kathleen Jones
MSU Graduate Theses
A great deal of research has examined social media best practices; however, there has been a gap in looking at nonprofits to examine the efficacy of Facebook-, Twitter-, and Instagram-specific rhetoric to engage stakeholders. This study examined a small, local nonprofit's posts on each of the above platforms, and used surveys and interviews to find which types of rhetoric create the best dialogue between the nonprofit and stakeholders. This study found that for Facebook, the best rhetoric to use are pictures and videos; for Twitter, the best rhetoric to use are retweets; and Instagram, the best types of rhetoric are …
Three Landscapes For Orchestra, Nathan D. Raught
Three Landscapes For Orchestra, Nathan D. Raught
MSU Graduate Theses
Three Landscapes for Orchestra is a three-movement orchestral suite, with music composed based on corresponding artworks. Each movement is inspired by an abstract painting by Samantha Keely Smith. Stylistically, the focus of these pieces is on color and mood, and the emulation of the atmosphere and emotions elicited by the source material. As such, the music either takes a literal approach to musical representations of certain aesthetic features, or an abstract approach wherein the music conveys a similar emotion or mood as the painting. Musically, the approach taken is an amalgamation of Late-Romantic, twentieth century, and twelve-tone styles, with influences …
Guiding In And Away, Terry Belew
Guiding In And Away, Terry Belew
MSU Graduate Theses
“Guiding In and Away” is a collection of poems exploring shifts in contemporary American culture. Major themes include technology-induced anxiety, human connectivity, isolation, and the importance of nature in a man-made world. These themes are demonstrated throughout the collection through the use of speakers set into situations that reflect what is lost with the recent digitalization of human interaction, the isolation and loneliness caused by these losses, and how natural settings are encroached upon because of digitalization.
Analysis And Impact Of Selected Compositions That Endured Criticism, Grant Tyler Simms
Analysis And Impact Of Selected Compositions That Endured Criticism, Grant Tyler Simms
MSU Graduate Theses
Throughout the history of Western art music there have been composers who were remarkably successful at creating works that stayed within the guidelines of what was viewed as "acceptable". These composers often were greeted with praise from critics and the general public for these works because they were understood and did not stray outside the boundaries of the expected. While these composers were vital to the development of music, they will not be discussed in this paper. Instead the composers who will be discussed are those who stepped outside the lines of what was viewed as customary. Works ranging from …
The Terrible Women I'Ve Been, Meagan Rose Stoops
The Terrible Women I'Ve Been, Meagan Rose Stoops
MSU Graduate Theses
This thesis is a collection of eight short fictions exploring the characterization of unlikable women in fiction. Each work herein incorporates the themes of romantic relationships and denial of traditional female gender roles. The female characters within embody traits of bitterness, passion, perseverance, rage, cunning, and pursuits of self-preservation and love as motivating forces. Through these characters' actions and choices, the narratives dissolve and reject the commonly accepted portrayals of women in fiction in an attempt to grasp at a greater, more complex truth of human nature and the female psyche.
A Longitudinal Investigation Of A Sequential Arabic-English Bilingual Child’S Vocabulary Development, Seba A. Al-Hindawy
A Longitudinal Investigation Of A Sequential Arabic-English Bilingual Child’S Vocabulary Development, Seba A. Al-Hindawy
MSU Graduate Theses
The purpose of the study was to explore the lexical development of a sequential bilingual Arabic-English speaking child. The study contributes to the growing research literature on the language behaviors of early bilingual children and specifically to the discussion of bilingual developmental milestones. The child's vocabulary growth was assessed over the course of a year with the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI-III, English and Arabic versions), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-4), parent interviews, and the Frog Story Narrative Test. Lexical measures were analyzed over time and indicated that the child progressed in the dominant language, English, similarly to the …
Skin And Smoke, Kelly Anne Baker
Skin And Smoke, Kelly Anne Baker
MSU Graduate Theses
My thesis consists of the first ten chapters of a horror novel, entitled Skin and Smoke. My novel focuses on the character of Violet Masterson and her attempts to create her own identify and reconcile with her family's past actions. Violet lives in the small, recently unincorporated town of Nuovita in central Washington. Following her grandmother's death, she must face the paranormal events occurring in Nuovita, while her father leaves on an unknown journey. My thesis addresses themes of loss, identity, and revenge. In Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces, he proposes that the monomyth ends with the …
The Representation Of The Iraqi War, Middle Eastern Culture, And Women In Benjamin Buchholz's One Hundred And One Nights, Entidhar Hamzah Abbas Al-Rashid
The Representation Of The Iraqi War, Middle Eastern Culture, And Women In Benjamin Buchholz's One Hundred And One Nights, Entidhar Hamzah Abbas Al-Rashid
MSU Graduate Theses
The Iraqi war not only affected Iraqi culture but also had a significant impact on a historically marginalized member of Iraqi society, namely, women. The American novelist Benjamin Buchholz explored the life of Iraqis from a unique perspective after his 2003 deployment. Instead of writing from the perspective of an American soldier, he gave an Iraqi perspective on the effect of the US-led invasion on Iraqi culture through the eyes of his two main protagonists, Abu Saheeh and Layla. In his novel, One Hundred and One Nights, Buchholz addresses the effect of war on Iraqi culture generally and Middle Eastern …