Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Desecrate: An Original Feature-Length Screenplay, Justin Zorn

Honors Theses

The basis of this creative project was to construct a feature-length, three-act screenplay in the mold of both the American Western genre and the modern road epic. The “road” genre, a staple of American cinema, is form of story in which one or two characters are confronted by situations that put them on journeys of Odysseus-like proportions during which they must overcome some fundamental issues in their respective lives. Following the examples of mainstream road epics such as Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998) and the Cohen brothers O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), my screenplay incorporates the same three-act …

A Monumental History: Stories Of The Berkshires, Kimberly Bolduc

Honors Theses

A Monumental History: Stories of the Berkshires is a creative-nonfiction work focusing on stories surrounding forgotten monuments in the Berkshire region of western Massachusetts. The Berkshires exhibit a distinct regional culture that has set them apart from the rest of Massachusetts and indeed from the rest of the rural and urban United States. As one of the first American frontiers, the region was settled by self-reliant and determined pioneers who had to endure harsh environments, Native American unrest, wars, and political and religious disturbances and disagreements. Utopian communities like the Shakers would settle in the Berkshires, drawn by their promise …

Les Chroniques De Toi / The Chronicles Of You, Marc Mazza

Honors Theses

In an alternate reality, technological advancements have enabled people to instantly access their memories. Everyone has a memory implant that records everything humans do, see, and hear. Although having instantaneous access to memory logs may appear to be a privilege, a certain couple will soon find out that the ability to replay past events is only damaging to one's psyche. Therefore this thesis proposes an analysis of how certain technological advancements can be detrimental to society rather than beneficial. Based on this context, I have used creative writing to address this topic. The following narrative explores the relationship between a …

A Scholarly Fictional Narrative Portraying The Stigma That Surrounds Mental Illness And Its Place In Literature, Adrianna Robinson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this scholarly fictional narrative is meant to reveal the struggles that individuals with mental illness go through, not only in their personal lives, but also with their place in society. I lay out research around the stigma that surrounds mental illness first, defining both public and self-stigma in relation to mental illness. I also briefly mention Girl, Interrupted and “The Yellow Wallpaper,” to show how authors have addressed the stigma that surrounds mental illness in literature in the past. The research is an important part of understanding why I write the fictional narrative the way I do, …

Tales From The "Bad Ras", Narisse Martin

Honors Theses

The life of a Resident Assistant is anything and everything except dull. From training to duty nights, to suitemate mediations and the end of a contract, each day is a story that most others rarely understand, if it is even believed. From these experiences came a collection of short stories, fictionalized accounts of what it is like to be a Resident Assistant in the average American public university.

For four RAs, the stories of their Residence Life incidents are day in the life for them, even if not the day in the life they expected at the start of the …

The Laureate; 16th Edition, Nicholas Alti

Honors Theses

No abstract available.

Wild Freedom, Elizabeth Field

Honors Theses

Wild Freedom, A Fable is a work of utopian fiction that explores themes dominant in Western culture and offers more nature-centered, holistic ways of being. The fable is written from six different perspectives in order to explore diversity among gender, race, sexuality, ability, age, and other identities. This writing style was chosen because acknowledging and listening to diverse perspectives is essential to the creation of a just and equitable society. The ideas presented aim to break away from harmful dualisms dominant in Western culture, for example those that value culture over nature, the mind over the body, and the masculine …

Amayra Short; Touch Of Shadow (Creative Writing, Fictional Short Story), Jessica Blandford

Honors Theses

Born in a small village near Del Marah, Teagan, abandoned by her mother, arrives on the steps of the orphanage. Her gifts express themselves in unexpected ways as she is taunted by those around her. Manifestations of her dreams become reality in the stone halls and calls the attention of the Reverend Mother, the woman responsible for purging the land from Darkness. Fearing for her life, Teagan is forced to leave behind the only life she has ever known. All the while the Forbidden God calls to her from the Shadows. Contained is a short story of fictitious work, any …

Whose Voice The Waters Heard: A Short Story Cycle, Grace E. Hagan

Honors Theses

Abstract In this collection of short stories, each short story is a unique exploration of the powerful and often enigmatic concept of loss. The common unity for the collection presents itself in two parts: place and theme. Characters of all ages, from all walks of life, go to the river to have their voices heard and to grieve a particular form of loss. The collection takes a dynamic and expansive view on loss, and each short story reflects a different idea or experience of loss. It seeks to examine not only what can be lost, but also what can and …

Beyond The Pond: My Semester Abroad, Converted Into Creative Nonfiction, Elaine Ingalls

Honors Theses

Creative nonfiction is a genre that consists of dramatized, true stories. They are portrayed through literary elements commonly used by poets and fiction writers. These elements include dialogue, a replication of scenes, character development, and detailed descriptions of setting and interior thought. Creative nonfiction allows the writer to find meaning beyond his/her experiences and reflect on universal and personal issues.

When I set out to write, I intended on writing one longer story that brought each individual experience together. As a final product, my thesis stands as a collection of different trips and events that all contributed to my time …

La Bete Noire Et Le Beau, Hannah Wright

Honors Theses

Betrayed by the one who is supposed to care for her most Marceline must find a way to reverse her curse before she loses everything that makes her human and her mind reverts to that of a beast.

Pretty Things Around The Sun, Alaina G. Newby

Honors Theses

The following thesis contains six short stories written from July 2016 to March 2017 in Tupelo, Mississippi and Oxford, Mississippi.

Sans Fin: Language Of Loss, Lane Jennings Proctor

Honors Theses

This is a hybrid collection of creative pieces that I have written in order to try to capture the feelings associated with loss and oppression. These pieces are only loosely related thematically and are not one single narrative. I especially wanted to focus on female characters who become disillusioned with their lives, find they have no real agency, or that they cannot truly write their own narratives. Through research on the Middle East, mostly focusing on Syria, and a close friendship with a Syrian refugee while I was studying abroad in Paris, I found the inspiration and ideas for many …

I Remember It Like This: Essays, Robin C. Lewis

Honors Theses

This thesis is composed of eleven personal essays. As an Environmental Policy senior, I wanted to write down some of my formative stories—not just any stories, but those that may reveal the environmental thread in my life, which, I believe, was somehow instilled in me by my parents. This thread has followed me from Texas to Maine, from childhood to almost twenty-three. It has been supported and tested by various characters along the way, sometimes growing faint, other times stronger. As I prepare for something new, I’ve found it valuable to look back on the people and landscapes and stories …

A Few Good Things, Rachel Byars Tran

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of poetry dealing with depression, the body, love, family, poverty, and the slow ache of memory.