Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Reckoning Roanoke: A Historiographical Examination Of The Lost Colony, Anna K. Poole

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The disappearance of the Lost Colony of Roanoke is an American mystery which has baffled historians for centuries. This paper takes a historiographical view of the works of academics Lee Miller and James Horn, comparing their research and conclusions on the topic. Miller’s belief that the colony was sabotaged by English secretary of state Sir. Francis Walsingham and Horn’s theory that an English desire for mineral wealth and poor preparation for survival in the New World brought about their demise are each analyzed for their legitimacy, research gaps, and possible biases. Through this analysis, it is concluded that the field …

The Survival Of Manuscripts: Resistance, Adoption, And Adaptation To Gutenberg's Printing Press In Early Modern Europe, Kaitlin Jean Kojali

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper seeks to provide a brief survey of three types of responses to Gutenberg’s moveable type printing press and its effect on early modern Europe: resistance, adoption, and adaptation. Analyzing the respective examples of these three responses to print will help to explain why manuscript production survived in a world that was seemingly dominated by print. Although several different arguments for the survival of the manuscript may be derived from the exhaustive examples of print reactions, the theme of the newfound overabundance of information is the most prominent. This paper opens with an introduction, which is followed by a …

Perceived Phantoms: A Phenomenological Observation Of Spirituality In Atsumori, Nicholas C. Gilomen

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The paper examines the performance and embodiment of spirituality in Japanese Noh Drama during the Muromachi era from 1336 CE to 1573 CE. It also observes the art form from a modern perspective. Specifically, this research examines the classic Noh Drama play Atsumori by Zeami Motokiyo through the phenomenological lens. Phenomenology is a qualitative study that focuses on the perceptions of the human consciousness, and it allows me to examine the impact of subjective experiences on a person’s sense of truth. This paper examines the spirituality present through the various religious influences that went into the development of Noh Drama …

The Biological Influence Of Stories & The Importance Of Reading Fiction, Elise N. Good, Katharine Schaab

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Fictional narratives and stories have persisted throughout human history. However, perhaps due to a bias that stories offered nothing more than entertainment for the reader or perhaps that they are not useful outside of the realm of academia, the research within science academia has been lacking in literature on why these narratives have endured. Unfortunately, due to the lack of conversation across disciplines, particularly those of science and literature, this subject has not been thoroughly investigated through an interdisciplinary lens. Within this paper, the goal is to analyze the benefits of fictional narratives through biological, evolutionary, and neuropsychological perspectives. Research …

An Investigation Of The Rhetorical And Representational Aspects Of Bleed Green, Jacob A. Segura

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

This essay is a retroactive examination of a personal narrative titled Bleed Green, a story that characterizes my experience working for the supermarket Publix. I performed Bleed Green in front of an audience at the KSU Tellers' Spring 2021 Showcase. This essay serves both to analyze the rhetorical methods of my story and to precede the script of the performance, which accompanies this essay. In the essay, I contextualize the story through the lens of three widely underutilized concepts from various disciplines: framing, foregrounding and backgrounding, and representation and agency. Storytellers often critically analyze their works, particularly with the …

Fashion As Freedom - The Bustle And Women Of The Late Victorian Era, Sydney A. Everett

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

In contrast to the general bias of Americans, the First- and Second-Bustle periods allowed the women of the time to find freedom through changes in the Victorian fashion. The women of the 19th century were able to achieve freedom through the bustle periods between 1867 and 1889 by gaining freedom of movement more so than through any of the other fashions, first by gaining social and economic benefit through smuggling items in their bustles and finally, through being able to remove the bustle for athletic wear. This research uses primary research sources and contemporary scholarly essays to analyze how these …

Harlots And Hooligans: The Representation Of Women In Hogarth’S Strolling Actresses Dressing In A Barn (1738), Hannah Arnold

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Licensing Act egregiously hindered the English theatrical community when it was placed into effect by King George II in 1737. Strolling actors were thereby forbidden to perform in new plays for profit, forcing acting troupes to disband. This act was widely protested throughout England at the time, most notably by artist William Hogarth in his etching titled Strolling Actresses Dressing in a Barn. This etching cleverly protests the Licensing Act as well as a myriad of quandaries that plagued 18^th-century English society, namely, gender roles both on and off the stage. Yet, what exactly is the …

Abjection In Fiction: A Study Of Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, Emily Jobe

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Julia Kristeva’s focus on understanding what the abject is and how it is manifested plays a key role in this essay. This essay argues that abjection informs the representation of dual personality and addiction in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. By determining what is an abject for Jekyll through an analysis of the characters and plot development, this essay argues that not only is abjection possible for an individual, but it is a necessity of fiction. Using literary and psychoanalytic scholarship and theory, this essay demonstrates key factors in figuring out what, how, …

Too Young Or Too Old? Age And The Politics Of Performing King Lear - Successfully!, Jim B. Wallace

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

“It is sometimes said that the problem with the part of Lear is that by the time you are old enough to play it, you are too old to play it.” (Jonathan Bate)

Theatre critics rarely see an outstanding performance of King Lear. The thesis of this paper is that it is possible to successfully perform the role of Lear however it takes much more than excellent acting skills to do so. To successfully play Lear requires a visceral understanding of the profound psychological and physical changes that generally begin around age sixty-five. This paper demonstrates that what one learns …

When Priests Forgot About God: An Analysis Of The Catholic Church's Role In Genocide, Mary M. Fertitta

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Catholic Church in Rwanda for more than a century was a witness to the atrocities of genocide. One million Rwandans died in 100 days while many Catholic priests and nuns stood by offering no assistance. Others participated in the slaughter. The majority of those killed were killed in churches or on church grounds. Since Belgium's acquisition of Rwanda, there have been ties between the Catholic Church and the government of Rwanda. The Catholic Church blamed Belgium for the ethnic class designations and for disturbing the native culture. The Church and priests, however, remained silent and maintained their silence to …

Epiphanius's Condemnation Of The Nazarenes: When Orthodox Christianity Is Threatened By Jewish Practice, E. Andrews

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 377 AD, Epiphanius of Salamis wrote the Panarion. In the Panarion he labeled 80 religious sects as heretics. Among those groups was a Jewish-Christian sect called the Nazarenes. The Nazarenes believed that there is one God, that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and that both the Old and New Testaments were to be used as Scripture. For Epiphanius, the only fault of this sect was in their continued observance of the Law of Moses. It is important to explain why Epiphanius concluded that they were …

Namaste In The Usa: The Growing Pains That Traditional Yoga Faces In America – An International Marketing Case Study, Clay T. Wilderman, Mona Sinha

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Yoga is a mind, body, and spiritual practice that originated nearly 5,000 years in India. It is known to relieve stress, enhance athletic performance, increase strength and flexibility as well as assist in achieving inner peace, focus, and improving mental wellness. In recent years, the practice of yoga has grown exponentially in the United States with about 37 million practitioners in 2016. However, the future growth of yoga in the U.S faces some critical challenges. American innovations in yoga techniques and the rise of the yoga accessories industry with deep linkages with consumerism, is drawing the practice away from its …

Spectacular Spaces Of Consumption, Ellen G. Watkins

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Abstract:

Many pre-professional dance studios have become consumer driven in response to the growing economic practice of neoliberalism. Neoliberal values have become more prominent in today’s economy and inevitably seeped into the lives of dancers and instructors, creating consumer based pre-professional training schools. This paper argues that the current neoliberal state of the United States is negatively affecting dance education by reducing specialized and therapeutic training and as a result numbing the creative mind and the artist’s entrepreneurial abilities. This research begins with the basic definition of neoliberalism and discusses how the theory of homo politicus and homo economicus individuals …

The Influence Of Chimú Metalworks On Inca Metalworks, Maria Shah, Hannah Pelfrey, Jessica J. Stephenson

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

One of the cornerstones of art history is the attribution of art work to an artist, culture or time period. Art historians perform this work through a number of methods, including an analysis of medium, provenance, and object history, with the goal of placing a work within a chronological sequence. However, art historical attribution becomes a challenge when studying lesser known cultures or cultures of the past whose art works have been removed from archaeological contexts without rigorous study. As a result, attributions and classifications are sometimes based on minimal information. Once published this information is often uncritically perpetuated. One …

The Danger Of Unqualified Dance Instruction In Private Dance Studios And Social Media, Angelina M. Pellini

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

While dance classes have become a popular activity for children in the United States, most people are unaware of what constitutes “quality” dance instruction. This idea has been addressed at a collegiate level yet the lack of standards for dance instruction at the studio level has been overlooked. This research draws attention to this issue and the need for a potential solution to the problem. The project strives to answer these questions: Is there a trend between the lack of standards for dance education and the prevalence of injuries in young dancers? If so, is there a way to address …

Caitlin Keogh: Feminine Feminism, Madeline Beck

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The painter Caitlin Keogh (b. 1982) is a rising star in the Contemporary Art scene in the United States. Currently living and working in Brooklyn, New York, Keogh is one of countless emerging painters in the trendy arts hub, but her work is already receiving international attention and critical acclaim. Her refined use of flat figuration and bold but pastel colors combined with her striking subject matter has situated Keogh distinctly in the massive contemporary art scene today. Keogh’s insertion of feminist discourse, personal identity, and appropriated imagery into her paintings begs a thorough analysis of her work. She implements …

Mood And Mode: The Impressionistic Commonalities Of Claude Debussy And John Coltrane, Simon B. Needle, Edward Eanes

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

There are marked parallels in scale use, the use of modality and harmonic construction and movement in the music of John Coltrane as compared to impressionist composers like Claude Debussy. The modal harmonic exploration employed in the works of Coltrane is often attributed to the Indian raga and other music, but it can also be likened to Impressionist works by Debussy. A fascination with exoticism and a search for new veins in music to draw from propelled both of these artists forward musically. While Debussy learned medieval modality from the Russians, Coltrane looked further East to the Arab world and …

Differentiating The Transnational From The National In A Multicultural Setting: Identity In Persepolis And Rush Hour, Laura A. Kasper

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

This essay explores the differences between transnational identities and national identities in a multicultural setting by juxtaposing the films Persepolis and Rush Hour. Furthermore, it examines the characteristics of both transnational and national identities and how they are represented in film. In an increasingly globalized world, it is important to distinguish these two types of identity and consider how these individuals interact with today’s society; thus, this essay asks readers to think about the influence that the commingling of transnational and national identities has on the modern world.

Silhouettes Of A Silent Female’S Authority: A Psychoanalytic And Feminist Perspective On The Art Of Kara Walker, Angelica E. Perez

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The focus of my research centers on the contemporary work of Georgia-based artist, Kara Elizabeth Walker. In conducting extensive research on the life of the artist as well as three select artworks which recall the antebellum slave era within the south, I argue the explicit presence of the power of the enslaved prepubescent girl and young woman. The three select works that I intend to analyze are Burn, a cut-paper silhouette on canvas created in 1998, The Invisible Beauty, a mixed media piece made in 2001, and Cut, a paper cut-out silhouette made in 1998.

In a …

Wonder Woman: Feminist Icon Of The 1940s, Angelica E. Delaney

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Reading Cleopatra Vii: The Crafting Of A Political Persona, Angelica E. Delaney

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

The Action Of Grace In Territory Held By The Devil: Flannery O’Connor And Cormac Mccarthy, Scott A. Singleton

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper compares the lives and work of Flannery O’Connor and Cormac McCarthy. The two authors share similarities in their backgrounds, careers, and work. The paper begins with an examination of biographical information of both authors to contextualize their work and note commonalities in their lives and careers. The central idea is that Flannery O’Connor and Cormac McCarthy both create grotesque characters to reveal the depraved condition of humanity in order to highlight the need for redemption and the possibility of divine grace. To prove this, examples are discussed from multiple pieces of work by O’Connor and McCarthy including The …

Repatriating The Bust Of Nefertiti: A Critical Perspective On Cultural Ownership, Lauren Bearden

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Who owns antiquities? This question has plagued the global community in recent times and has opened dialogues between former colonial Western countries and their past colonized nations whose property is exhibited. This essay examines the conflicting perspectives of ownership in the repatriation of the Bust of Nefertiti between Berlin, Germany and Egypt. By analyzing the effects of European occupation in Egypt and the Western dominance in foreign cultures during the Age of Imperialism, a moral argument arises questioning the legality of the Bust’s removal. This article will review the historical significance of the Bust of Nefertiti in terms of its …

Exploring Prejudice, Miscegenation, And Slavery's Consequences In Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson, Steven Watson

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

This research paper analyzes Mark Twain's use of racist speech and racial stereotypes in his novel Pudd'nhead Wilson. Twain has often been criticized for his seemingly inflammatory language. However, a close reading of the text, supplemented by research in several anthologies of critical essays, reveals that Twain was actually interested in social justice. This is evident in his portrayal of Roxana as a sympathetic character who is victimized by white racist society in Dawson's Landing, Mississippi during the time of slavery. In the final analysis, Twain's writing was a product of the time period during which he wrote. This …

Perceptions Of Beauty Among Female Chinese Students In The United States And China, Carly R. Staley, Ginny Qin Zhan

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

This pilot study compared the perceptions of beauty among Chinese women who were exchange students in the United States with Chinese women who were students in their homeland. We interviewed 19 women in China and 19 women in the United States to determine differences in responses. In accordance with the sociocultural approach and the social comparison approach, we expected Chinese women in the United States to have a be more acculturate, more frequently conclude that American women were more beautiful than Chinese women, be more likely than those studying in China to report body dissatisfaction, be more likely to dislike …

Oral Traditions: An Analysis Of Story Telling And Performance In Paule Marshall’S Praisesong For The Widow, Dhanashree Thorat

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Dorothy Noyes, in her essay "Tradition: Three Traditions," notes that the word "tradition" implies "handing over" or "delivery" (Noyes 233). Furthermore, tradition is identified as a communal belonging that involves "the transfer of responsibility for a valued practice or performance" from one generation to the next (233). This essay will apply the characteristics and role of "tradition," outlined by Noyes and others, to develop a critical understanding of two acts of oral tradition pivotal to the spiritual transformation of Avey Johnson, the protagonist of Paule Marshall's Praisesong for the Widow. These two interconnected acts, the story of Ibo Landing and …