Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Ordinary Mermaids And Other Stories, Desiree Sholes

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis is a series of short stories in which the characters are constantly searching for something. The characters learn, grow, and adapt as they experience different life situations and work to find some new meaning for their lives, even if the change is small or subtle.

"What Man As Made Of Man": From British Romanticism To Neo-Romanticism, Melissa A. Pelletier

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis analyzes the history of English literature as it evolves due to the changing thoughts and ways of poets. Discussing conventions of this literature such as innocence, escapism, and hope, it also analyzes the works of various different poets from these time periods and how they shaped literature into what it has become.

The Byronic Heroine, Jessica M. Laffoon

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis examines the well-used character persona in Western literature, the Byronic hero which can be prominently seen in both George Gordon and Lord Byron’s poetry, as well as the juxtaposition to this hero, the Byronic heroine. Both hero and heroine are characterized by being sensitive, passionate, strong, and having self-destructing tendencies. These romantic heroes can be seen throughout many works of literature.

Out Here, Listening, Amy Whipple

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis is a collection of creative nonfiction essays revolving around the author’s place and identity within her community, especially where her womanhood is concerned. Within eight different essays, she questions and analyzes what community and individualism are and how they fit together to form a unique sense of self.

The Power Of The American Indian Grandmother: Leslie Silko's Ceremony And James Welch's Winter In The Blood, Lorie Southall Keener

Theses & Honors Papers

Leslie Silko and James Welch revitalize their creation deities in Ceremony and Winter in the Blood. According to most Indian creation stories, the role of the grandmother is the most influential in American Indian literature. The grandmother has the extraordinary ability to either create or destroy life, depending upon whether she assumes her traditional role as the transmitter of culture. This thesis reviewed the power of the American Indian Grandmother. Silko’s grandmother character assumes this role, therefore, she is a creator. Conversely, Welch’s grandmother character is a destroyer because she rejects her traditional role. Silko’s grandmother character represents the positive …

The Anglican Church Of Rwanda: Domestic Agendas And International Linkages, Phillip A. Cantrell

History, Political Science & Philosophy Faculty Publications

The article analyses the relationship between the Anglican Church of Rwanda and evangelical Episcopalians in the United States. In 2000, the archbishop of Rwanda, Emmanuel Kolini, in a move that gained great support for Rwanda's post-genocide recovery, ordained several bishops to preside over congregations of orthodox, evangelical Americans who had severed their relationship with the Episcopalian Church of the United States over issues such as the blessing of same- sex marriages and the ordination of openly gay clergy. The result was the creation of the Anglican Mission in the Americas, a missionary province in the United States that acknowledges Kolini …

From The Illuminating Moon To The Radiating Sun: The Philosophical Writings Of Emerson And Nichiren, Sharon Mitsue Blythe

Theses & Honors Papers

Ralph Waldo Emerson's philosophical writings possess deep correlations to the writings of Nichiren, a 13th century Japanese Buddhist philosopher. Both Emerson and Nichiren conceive the inherent and unlimited potential of human beings, and stress the inseparability of life from its psychological, spiritual, and physical environment. Both Emerson and Nichiren address the cyclical and universal nature of all phenomena, an understanding that derives from the oneness of all facets of existence. The greatest variation between these two writers occurs in the implementation and practice of their philosophies.

The Preface provides a synopsis of Buddhism and introduces Nichiren. It also discusses the …

Things We Don't Say & Other Stories, Frances A. Stubbs

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose is to conduct an examination of what it means to survive, specifically in terms of overcoming the expectation to fail. The focus of each narrative is to be a struggle for survival by means of reconciling public opinion, assumed or real, with an individual’s perception of what it means to fail. The reconciliation emerges from understanding of identity, ideas about failure, and relationships between characters. In each story, moments exist where the character chooses between accepting other’s expectations or becoming something different. The characters struggled to survive emotionally and physically in a world with skewed value systems and …

Beasts And Other Stories, Amanda Walton

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of the short story is to create characters who reveal the theme of hope in dire circumstances in short story form. The interest being in unlovable characters who are considered unlovable because of their actions. The author views unlovable characters as more loveable. She is interested in the backstory of each unlovable character and how they face life’s hardest moments. The author gives each character a history and individual qualities so that the reader can understand the reasoning behind their actions. The author created an understanding of perspectives. She shed light on the idea that characters who commit …

I Am Elizabeth Gaskell: The Literary Evolution Of Elizabeth Gaskell Throughout Mary Barton, North And South, And Wives And Daughters, Jessica Leigh Watkins

Theses & Honors Papers

An overview of the literary evolution of Elizabeth Gaskell throughout Mary Barton, North and South, and Wives and Daughters is reviewed in this thesis. Gaskell’s novels contain a plethora of themes and concerns, ranging from the plight of the Industrial working class, to the developing romance of young lovers, and even to the social implications of the developments of rural life. Throughout the three novels, Gaskell’s personal evolution and her struggle to develop a complete female consciousness within her writing can be tracked. As the female characters in her books grow into an understanding of working class life or learn …

Islands: Jewish Themes And Images In Selected Poems Of Muriel Rukeyser, Wendy Susan Howard Gray

Theses & Honors Papers

An exploration of Rukeyser's work is a transformative experience. The reader need not come to see the world through the same lenses that Rukeyser saw it in order to be transformed. That is, one need not agree with Rukeyser that 1) the world is a place of Oneness that embraces all (even the ugliness and evil) that appears to divide it; 2) that observation is given voice by poetry; and 3) that the poet who sees suffering must, out of love, give poetry that speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. One need only put on Rukeyser's lenses for …

From The Stage To The World: The Moralizing Methods Of Sir Richard Steele, Shelah Y. Simpson

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis looks at the life and literary works of Sir Richard Steel as they relate to his well-defined moral code. It analyzes the sentimentality and comedy which he works into his narratives and discusses how he uses these methods to communicate his sense of morality to his audience.

The Influence Of Celtic Myth And Religion On The Arthurian Legends, Gretchen Koenig

Theses & Honors Papers

The person and idea of King Arthur conjures up various images ranging from a young boy pulling a sword from a stone, to a triumphant warrior in battle, to an aging man floating on a barge to the mystical isle of Avalon. Some of the current scholarly discussion regarding Arthur revolves around his historicity. Whether or not a man, warrior, or king named Arthur ever actually walked the earth has little effect on the literature of the man and his legends. These legends were birthed from cultures that needed a hero, one who could shoulder the hopes of all of …

Defining The Period And Style Of Constructivism, Aaron Gamble

Theses & Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Lambs Of A Foreign God: Christianity In African-American Literature, Maryam F. Mujahid

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis examines the way that Christianity was used as a method to integrate African slaves into American culture. “For many slaves, it was their conversion to Christianity that was the ultimate and final separation from their African heritage.” Postbellum African American poets had to decide if they wanted to assimilate into American culture through Christianity or embrace their African roots.

Re-Examining Vonnegut: Existential And Naturalistic Influences On The Author's Work, Marybeth Davis

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis looks at several Vonnegut novels through both the lenses of existentialism and naturalism, claiming that each is just as important and present in his work as the other. It examines his life, as well, and how his experiences and observations on life tie into his writing.

To Glory Or To Ruin : Guinevere And Vivien In Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur, Alfred Tennyson's Idylls Of The King, And Edwin Arlington Robinson's Merlin And Lancelot, Eunice W. Carwile

English & Modern Languages: Theses, Dissertations & Student Publications

From Malory's Morte Darthur, through Tennyson's Idylls of the King, and through Robinson's Merlin and Lancelot, Guinevere and Vivien evolve from mere servants of a masculine plot and theme to well-rounded characters who struggle with the same problems that confront their male counterparts. Malory's world is about knights, warfare, and a holy quest, with women acting or reacting in certain ways only to move the plot along. While Tennyson develops female characters more fully than Malory, the great Victorian pays no homage to Arthurian womankind, bringing to his work a philosophy of sin-weakness-destruction that makes Vivien an evil seductress and …

"We Were There": Anatomy Of A Successful Series Of Historical Novels For Young People, Deanna Lee Gasteiger Schwartz

Theses & Honors Papers

The study of history has always been an important part of learning. Young people might ask, "Why do I need to learn about something I cannot change?" When asked "Why Study History?" William H. McNeill states in Historical Literacy : The Case For History in American Education that the "value of historical knowledge obviously justifies teaching and learning about what happened in recent times, for the way things are descends from the way they were yesterday and the day before that" (104). Between the years 1955 to 1963 Grossett and Dunlap Publishers introduce a concept that brings personal involvement into …

Pivotal Transformations: The Changing Voice In Anne Sexton's Poetry, Lara L. Plate

Theses & Honors Papers

Critics such as Ralph Mills, Suzanne Juhasz, and Jane McCabe have generally focused on the confessional or feminist aspects of Anne Sexton's poetry, most especially in To Bedlam and Part Way Back (1960), All My Pretty Ones (1962), Live or Die (1966), and Love Poems (1969). Those who have examined Transformations (1971)-and its fairy-tale world-have also paid particular attention either to its feminist approach or its confessional connections. These critics suggest that Sexton exists in her poetry as a confessional poet striving to move beyond parental restrictions and childhood experiences or they reveal Sexton as either "Madonna or Witch." These …

Guenevere's Conflict: Pagan Love Or Christian Ethics, Jacquelyn Sweeney Johnson

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis examines the character of Guenevere in the broader, historical story of King Arthur. Analyzing newer, pagan, and feminist interpretations of her character as opposed to her original characterization in the Christian tale, it discusses the changes made in reinterpretation, especially as it relates to her relationship with Sir Lancelot.

The Power Of The Supernatural In Four Shakespearian Plays, Amy M. Lyon

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis analyzes Shakespeare’s use of supernatural elements to further the plot of his plays. Discussing the motivations of the characters and their desires for control, it helps provide insight through this major literary theme into the culture of England at the time.

Time Out, Tune In: Paul Desmond And Musical Coherence In The Odd-Metered Jazz Of The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Gary E. Jack

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis examines the improvised saxophone solos of Paul Desmond (1924- 1977) on the classic album Time Out (recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1959) with the purpose of delineating their contribution to the musical whole in terms of melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, timbral, and dynamic, and formal elements.

Selling The "Professional" Housewife: Editorial Strategy In Ladies Home Journal 1905 And 1955, Amanda Ellington

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis compares the editorial strategies of the women's magazine Ladies' Home Journal in 1905 and 1955. Throughout the twentieth century, the. Journal rapidly became one of the first mass circulation magazines offering a newly affluent middle class low subscription prices supported by the advertisement of consumer products. It both reflected and sought to shape its readers' values, interests, and attitudes.

Throughout its history, beginning with its founding in 1879, the Journal advocated a conservative view womanhood, maintaining that women should feel fulfilled through their relationships with others, their domestic responsibilities, and their duties of childcare. As the culture changed, …

Shakespeare's Twist: The Tragic Within Some Comedies, Susan Dettweiler Wilhide

Theses & Honors Papers

Shakespeare creatively intermingled comic and tragic motifs throughout each comedy. In doing so, the audience remembers the joyous reunions and unions rather than the potential tragedies of these plays. However, the comic portions are dependent upon the tragic portions and vice versa. The audience understands the tragic situations the characters face, yet laughs at the comic motifs causing these occurrences. The audience also shares in the joy of the characters as everything works out positively in the end.

Faulkner's Mothers: The Relationship Of Fact To Fiction In The Sound And The Fury And As I Lay Dying, Spring P. Zuidema

Theses & Honors Papers

The author explores the relationship between actual events and circumstances in Faulkner’s own life and the fiction hat he wrote in his novels. William Faulkner was able to write his best work because he expected nothing from it. He was previously rejected by publishers, but furthermore rejected by his own family and two love interests. His mother was the only constant in his life. However she lacked love and caring and was domineering. These feelings of inferiority in Faulkner reflect in the children he wrote about and the traits of his mother reflect in the mothers in his novels as …

Setting The Hook Of Realism: A Study Of The Early Career Of William Dean Howells, George C. Lanum Iii

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis looks at the early writings of William Dean Howells and how they create and cement the ideas of realism both in himself and in his readers. It studies his transition from being a romantic writer to being a realistic writer, leading the way forward for other well-known realism writers.

The Differences Between Dorothy Wordsworth's Journals And William Wordsworth's Poetry: Applying The Principles Of "Preface", Susan Dean Elzey

Theses & Honors Papers

The difference between the accounts of Dorothy Wordsworth and William Wordsworth of the events they experience together is studied. At times it almost seems like William contradicts himself in his dictums. However, that assumption is not the case. He takes from Dorothy’s journals a memory, an idea, a description and uses it as the foundation of deeper and more personal poetic revelations that Dorothy ever did. Together, through their writings, the brother and sister illustrate the basic definition of what it is to be a poet. Dorothy was not a poet, William was.

Interview 2002.01 Dr. Theresa Clark, Theresa Clark Dr.

Civil Rights in Prince Edward County

Dr. Theresa Clark discusses her memories of the closings of public schools in Prince Edward County, and teaching her children to speak up for themselves. Additionally, she talks about the Free Schools and the attitudes in Farmville at the time of her interview. As a professor at Longwood she also discusses Longwood's role in segregation. Interviewers include Jerry F. Little Jr. and Amir Abbassy.

Lee Smith's The Last Day The Dogbushes Bloomed And Family Linen: Children's Loss Of Innocence, Bree A. Poliey

Theses & Honors Papers

Author Lee Smith began writing years ago as a small child. She is now highly acclaimed and a distinguished author. Her works, including nine novels and many short stories, range in topics from Southern life and mountain customs to family feuds and profound relationships. Each of the topics offering resounding voices, unique perspectives, and spirited approaches to the world. The research explores Lee Smith’s the last day the dogbushes bloomed and family linen. Despite the difference in techniques and level of maturity evident in Smith’s novels, both her first novel and those later in her career explore many of the …

Interview 2002.02 Dorothy Holcomb, Dorothy Holcomb

Civil Rights in Prince Edward County

Dorothy Holcomb describes her experiences during the school closings in Prince Edward County, walking to school in Prospect, and migrating to Carver Price High School in Appomattox. She also discusses her position on the School Board, and her instrumental role in integrating white and black segregated public libraries in Prince Edward County. This interview was conducted by Atif Gaddis and James Yount