Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A New Man: Masculine Confusion And Struggle In The Works Of Edith Wharton, Gary L. Crump

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Edith Wharton’s male characters offer an important commentary on the evolving situation of the man in American society. Wharton did not wish for women to usurp all social positions from men but rather to claim their rightful position alongside them. Characters such as Lawrence Selden in The House of Mirth and Ralph Marvell in The Custom of the Country display the same characteristics of fear, passion, and vulnerability as do many of her primary female figures. Wharton’s societal concerns do not merely extend to that of her own sex but to that of the male in society who struggled with …

A Mock Rhetoric: The Use Of Satire In First-Year Composition, Michael James Sobiech

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

On the eve of the Second World War, high school English teacher Leon Ormond writes about a minor skirmish he has with a history teacher over the pedagogical usefulness of wit. After telling her about his book, Laugh and Learn: The Art of Teaching with Humor, she tells him, “Only morons laugh.” Ormond goes on to describe her as one who exhibits “a countenance curiously reminiscent of an ancient Greek tragic mask”—she was “an exemplary member of the Cult of Pedagogic Pallbearers.” Although educators, historically, have often frowned upon humor, humorous writing—especially satirical writing—helps students understand the fundamentals of …

Beyond Boundaries: Embodiment And Selfhood In Hilary Mantel's Novels, Tara Koger

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

No abstract provided.

Exploring The New Front Of The Culture War: 1984, Oryx And Crake, And Cultural Hegemony, Terry Ryan Hall

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Dystopic fiction is defined by its depiction of oppressive societies with power structures that seek to exercise control on its citizens. Orwell’s classic 1984 depicts a society that is a reaction to World War II and totalitarian regimes. This society depicts elements of cultural hegemony that are altered during the move to postmodernism. Atwood’s Oryx and Crake evolved to reflect the political climate that grew out of the Cold War’s end, while retaining the cautionary messages regarding the state’s ability to control. Oryx and Crake can be seen as completely reversing the concern from centralized power to decentralized power (represented …

Paradise Lost And The Medieval Tradition, Justin Lee Mathews

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis is a comparative study of the Medieval influence on the creation of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and the purpose of this thesis is to establish Paradise Lost as a poem designed to correct what Milton saw as the errors of the Medieval theological worldview. A range of topics are discussed, from the loyal angels to the Garden of Eden to Hell and Satan, and particular attention is given to Dantean parallels in these areas of Milton’s poem. The thesis shows how Milton responded to such Medieval concepts as courtly love and salvation theory and demonstrates how Milton …

The Effects Of Personal Characteristics And Religious Orientations On Identification With All Of Humanity And Humanitarian Behaviors, Derek Z. Brown

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research examined the effects of personal characteristics (empathy and authoritarianism) and religious orientations (Christian humanitarianism and religious fundamentalism) on identification with all humanity and resulting humanitarian behavior.

This research also tested two hypothetical models (personality is primary, religion is primary) for the relationship between identification with all humanity and resulting humanitarian behavior. Two samples, consisting of 221 students and 158 adults, completed measures of authoritarianism, religious fundamentalism, dispositional empathy, Christian humanitarianism, identification with all humanity, and an assessment of humanitarian behaviors.

As hypothesized, Christian humanitarianism and empathy were positively correlated with identification with all humanity and humanitarian behavior. Furthermore, …

Landscape Of The Past: The 1815 Log House At Western Kentucky University, Elizabeth Alewine

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The 1815 Log House is located on the campus of Western Kentucky University. Built in the early 1800's by Archibald Felts, the house was occupied by his descendants until 1968. The dogtrot floor plan, V-notched logs, and stone chimneys are some of the historical architectural features that can be viewed. It was donated to the Kentucky Library & Museum at WKU in 1980, and now serves as an on-site exhibit of early frontier life in Kentucky. The new landscape design for the log house includes a kitchen garden with period-appropriate plants and outdoor demonstration areas. The inventories and journals of …

Love And Low Serotonin, Leslie Parrish

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The following is a novella that depicts a young man and woman in search of differing goals, but the essence of their goals does have something in common: each of their pursuits, if obtained, allows for self-control and recovered lifestyle. However, their lives are far from average throughout the story. Themes such as bulimia, drug use, loveless sex, voyeurism, lucid dreaming and emergency room healthcare are explored in the form of fiction. Both of the main characters in this story explore their world with a measure of obsession, and like any worthy character, their obsessions transform into decisions and actions …

Escaping The Gender Box: An Empirical Study Of Anxiety Experienced By English As A Second Language Learners, Alexandra Knapp

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Studies have shown that, in general, anxiety in second-language learners debilitates their language acquisition capabilities and ultimate second language (L2) achievement. Such studies have also shown that gender has much to do with the strategies used to cope with feelings of stress and anxiety. Anxiety specifically impedes classroom achievement due to its interference with the production and retention of a new language. In other words, anxious students have been shown to learn less and have been often unable to demonstrate what they have learned, especially in front of large crowds. When anxiety impairs cognitive function, it likewise causes students to …

The Girls Who Had To Grow Up: Reflections On Motherhood And Dual Identity In Lewis Carroll's Wonderland And J.M. Barrie's Neverland, Theresa Fitzpatrick

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

My thesis explores the world of the "imaginary" in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan and its connection to the world of the "mundane" experienced by the typical Victorian housewife and mother. Both are intimately connected within the texts, primarily in the characters' dual roles as dictated by the gendered expectations of Victorian society. While in the imaginary world, both Alice and Wendy experience mini-versions of their future lives. They exist as girl and mother simultaneously. Carroll, by creating a hostile environment, grotesque motherimages, and a confused, argumentative Alice, shows a negative portrait of motherhood, …