Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Mapping Asian And Asian-American Community Formations In Hartford Through Culturally-Related Businesses, Hannah Lorenzo

Senior Theses and Projects

Hartford has been recognized as a global city through its diverse ethnic population and cultural formations consisting of Native American, Black, Latinx, Puerto Rican, and Afro-Caribbean communities. Yet, scholars have not yet fully explored Asian and Asian-American community formations in Hartford and how these communities have contributed to Hartford’s global interconnectedness. Through my senior thesis research, I aim to address this gap by highlighting the importance of Asian community formations through Asian-owned business and food practices in the Hartford region.

In this context, my research asks: How are Asian diasporic and Asian-American community formations visible in Hartford through culturally-related businesses …

Performing Identity On Social Media: Ethno-Nationalism In A Digitised India, Tara Iyer

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Hollywood And The Emergence Of Independent Cinema: A John Cusack Case Study, Emma Wellins

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Psicoanálisis Y Cambios Políticos En El Teatro Argentino De La Segunda Mitad Del Siglo Xx: Eduardo Pavlovsky Y Griselda Gambaro, Gillianne Nugent

Senior Theses and Projects

This paper explores the use of psychodrama as a technique in Argeninian theater by Eduardo Pavlovksy and Griselda Gambaro, as well as interpretations of the following plays through a psychoanalytical lens: El campo (1967) y La malasangre (1982) de Gambaro y El señor Galíndez (1972) y Telarañas (1976) de Pavlovsky. Each of these plays was written during a dark period of Argentine history between the years 1966-1983 during which a series of military regimes took power of the country, eventually leading to the Dirty War. The deaths and disappearances of over 30,000 individuals who spoke against the government forever changed …

Politics Of Urban Design: Racist Agendas Built Into The Environment, Chassidy Titley

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Dance Drama Fusion: A Reflection On Community Pedagogy, Practice, And Arts Education, Caroline Ruth Frederick, Lily Kirn Mcmahon

Senior Theses and Projects

For our senior thesis project, we conducted five theater and dance workshops for youth that centered around emotional identification and movement-based storytelling at three community sites within the Hartford region. We did two workshops with the YWCA KidsLink at two of their after-school programs, two workshops at the Montessori Magnet School, and one workshop with the Boys and Girls Club. We chose this project with the intention of growing as educators and building relationships with community partner organizations. A community partner organization is “an existing organization within the community who already serves the target population in some way” (Community Access …

In Her Own Voice: Examining The Portrayal Of Briseis Across Ancient Sources And Modern Retellings, Paige Phillips

Senior Theses and Projects

This thesis attempts to reconcile the modern perspective on the Iliad with that of the ancient material through translation, utilizing two translations of the Iliad from its original Greek to English, from 1951 and 2023, Ovid’s letter from Briseis to Achilles in translation from Latin to English, and two modern novels published in 2012 and 2018.

妻(Tsuma) Is Not 奥さん (Okusan) Hidden Figures In Japan: Japanese Housewives, Xingyuan Zhang

Senior Theses and Projects

In spoken Japanese, a husband will use妻 (tsuma) to refer to his own wife and use奥さん (okusan) to refer to the wife of another. The kanji for奥 (oku) means “deep inside” with 奥さん (okusan) carrying the literal meaning of “someone who is deeply hiding inside of the house”. Thus, this term illustrates the expectations for the wife to remain hidden deeply inside of the house, revealing how Japanese housewives are hidden figures in Japan.

The thesis shows the social situations of Japanese women and analyzes the pressures that lead Japanese women to become to housewives. The popular Japanese TV show …

Identität In Schwarz Und Weiß: Die Übersetzung Der Afro-Deutschen Identität In Den Werken Von May Ayim, Mia Ver Pault

Senior Theses and Projects

Many parts of our being are attached to how we identify and with whom we identify. Theoretically, how we identify is based largely on one’s own choices, but such freedom is not always the case. Unfortunately, identity is often imposed upon one by the surrounding racial and ethnic majority. Like many non-white people in a white environment, this was the case for the German poet and activist, May Ayim. May Ayim (1960-1996) was born to a white German mother and a black Ghanian father. Although Ayim spoke German, grew up in Germany, and was fully acculturated into German society, she …

From Maiden To Malevolence: Marriage, Motherhood And The Descension To Evil, Emma B. Viens

Senior Theses and Projects

In the realm of folklore and storytelling, fairy tales have long captivated audiences with their enchanting tales and timeless themes. Originating from oral tradition and having been passed down from generation to generation, these short stories have evolved into a cornerstone of literature and culture, helping nurture the imaginations of children and adults alike. However, fairy tales have never been mere bedtime stories. They have become a very effective means of exerting power over women and maintaining gender inequality, for beneath the surface of these seemingly innocent narratives lie carefully crafted and deeply rooted misconceptions about both sex and gender, …

Le Démantèlement D’Une Mémoire Partielle : Utiliser La Fiction Pour Exposer Les Vérités De L’Esclavage Et Du Racisme Anti-Noir En France, Shae Burns

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Reading Kierkegaard In Terms Of Faith, Christopher Chiasera

Senior Theses and Projects

Søren Kierkegaard's unique conceptualization of faith has historically been most valued for its interpretive potential in clarifying the relationship between Kierkegaardian philosophy and ethics. In this thesis, I argue that such a narrow, strictly ethical focus on the implications of Kierkegaardian faith has occluded the vast hermeneutical utility of this concept. By appropriating the movement of faith as a tool for reconsidering certain key themes in Kierkegaard's authorship, I posit a deep homology between the proper Christian orientation towards faith on the one hand and Christ, selfhood, and divine forgiveness on the other. Incidentally, moreover, I suggest that this study's …

Humanity Amid Innovation: Exploring Our Relationship To Technology, Sarah Durkee

Senior Theses and Projects

This thesis examines the impacts of technology on fundamental aspects of human nature and experience. Drawing on the works from Kant, Turing, Arendt, Benjamin, and Freud, it explores how rapid technological change is redefining human reason, intelligence, and creativity in the digital age. The first chapter analyzes whether modern online communication platforms realize or undermine Kant's vision of an enlightened public sphere fostering free discourse and critique. It argues that prioritizing engagement over substantive debate, these digital realms corrode the depth of interaction essential for cultivating human reason. The second chapter explores the pursuit of artificial intelligence as a reproduction …

美学、文学、白花文、和製漢語: The Allure Of Japanese Loanwords And Its Effects On Modernization In China And Japan, Justice Tyner

Senior Theses and Projects

For both China and Japan, the late 19th century and early 20th century can be characterized as a chaotic period of death and rebirth. Faced with the choices of “modernize or go bust,” the Meiji oligarchs and Qing empire scrambled to solidify a unique national identity amidst the waves of Western influence. However, both nations faced one major problem. As intellectuals rushed to adapt to Western political systems, educational systems, and philosophies, they realized both languages lacked the words to discuss the Western concepts they yearned to put into practice. Therefore, the distinguished Genro of the Meiji restoration pondered: “How …

Defining Elegant Taste In Emma And The British Housewife, Genevieve Brewer

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Legacies Of Freedom: Tracing Theories Of Freedom Into The Contemporary Conversation On International Intervention, Sarah Bello

Senior Theses and Projects

This paper presents an exploration into the lineage of freedom, investigating the historic structures configured in an attempt to distribute freedom in an equalizing fashion. This text will outline the intricate relationship between freedoms and liberties, by surveying the prominent political philosophies, and forms of governance within their respective temporalities. By taking up the ideas of enlightenment thinkers such as Kant, decolonial voices like Fanon, and comparing them to the current neo-liberal framework we find ourselves in, we are faced with the incompatible realities of liberalism and capitalism. This text will consequently call for a revolution of our current structures …

A Case For Abolition: Analyzing The Death Penalty In The United States, Abigail E. Nick

Senior Theses and Projects

This thesis delves into the multifaceted debate surrounding the death penalty in the United States, exploring its constitutionality, morality, and implications for the justice system. Drawing from legal, philosophical, and empirical analyses, it argues against the continued practice of capital punishment, contending that it violates fundamental human rights, inhibits rehabilitation efforts, and fails to align with evolving societal norms. The discussion navigates through historical contexts, international perspectives, and philosophical theories of punishment, examining the right to life, methods of punishment, and evolving standards of decency. It underscores the tension between retributive justice and the protection of human rights, highlighting the …

Zamrock: Negotiating Masculine Urban Identity In Zambia And Music Success In A Postcolonial World, Emeline Avignon

Senior Theses and Projects

This thesis analyzes, through predominately an ethnomusicologist approach and methodology, the lyricism, instrumentation, performance, and album art of the movement of Zamrock in Zambia from 1970 to the mid-1980s. I explore the agency and construction of urban youth masculinity by Zamrock artists in the context of Zambia’s colonial history of the Copperbelt, into its decades after independence. First, I look at the socio-political and economic context of colonized and independent Zambia, and how out of these conditions Zambian rock music was fused and forged. I break down the negotiations and desires of Zamrock artists in their identity construction via their …

The End Of The Road: Violence Against Alaska Native Women And Indigenous Jurisprudence, Molly Simons

Senior Theses and Projects

Native communities are plagued by violence against Native women, often violence committed by non-Native people; in Alaska, Native women are overrepresented among domestic violence victims by 250%. Recent expansions to Tribal court jurisdiction have reauthorized Tribal courts to try non-Native defendants who commit crimes against Native people, a huge step in securing the safety of Native communities. There are, however, challenges to implementing this jurisdiction, challenges that are expounded by the geographical landscape in Alaska. This thesis aims to explore violence against Alaska Native women and the jurisdictional expansions granted to Tribal courts in an attempt to mitigate this violence …

The Inherent Trauma Of Being: Eco-Terror In The American Naturalist Novella, Jessica Bartel

Senior Theses and Projects

Investigation into the human being and a natural form through nineteenth-century American literature. In both Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome and Kate Chopin's The Awakening, the main characters are Othered from their societies due to social, economic, and gendered differences, with devastating consequences. This calls into question how we have engaged with our world, and made it inhabitable for the deviant human, over the course of the last two centuries.

Oysters In A Half Shell: An Environmental History Of Fishing In Shenzhen From 1960-2010, Jiawei Li

Senior Theses and Projects

As the most rapidly urbanized city in the world, Shenzhen’s history contains potential case studies of human-nature relationships. This thesis discusses the environmental history in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China from 1960 to 2010 from the perspective of the oyster industry. The study invokes the existing research about the industrial, cultural and urban planning history of Shenzhen in the last 40 years and discusses the environmental impact on marine ecology and oyster industry in Shenzhen. This thesis aims to explain the impact of Chinese environmental policies at the regional level and understand the influence on vulnerable communities and policymakers. This thesis examines …

Greenbrier, Paige Phillips

Senior Theses and Projects

This thesis is the first sixty pages of a horror novel set in the Pacific Northwest. It attempts to navigate the liminal space between monstrosity and humanity. The narrative centers on fourteen-year-old Wren as she encounters a strange new boy, investigates her father's disappearance, and attempts to solve the abductions that plague her home.

Die Unfassbare Sprache, Molly Hornick

Senior Theses and Projects

The Lineage of Language: The Minds of Hamann, Benjamin, and Heidegger

Language, an essential part of human existence, is in its ubiquity almost impossible to define. This aspect of life, nearly absurd to confine into a simple definition, is crucial to the human understanding of being itself. The question of the origin of language began in the late 18th century with the German-language philosopher, Johann Georg Hamann, who criticized the Enlightenment for its reliance on reason alone. The notion that human existence, and therefore language can be grasped into a mere rational approach was similarly rejected by language philosopher Walter …

Laurel: Narrative Poems Of A Life, Rebecca Arabian

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

The Feminist Gothic Journeys Of Shirley Jackson, Grace Sanko

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Gesundheit, Glück Und Schrecken: Der Krankmachende Eroberungszug Der Nationalsozialisten Für Die Hygiene Aus Wissenschaftlich-Humanistischer Sicht, Nic Zacharewski

Senior Theses and Projects

Hygiene and Horror- The Ethical Considerations of The National Socialists' Conquest for Health and the Parallels to Contemporary Considerations and Consequences;

A Scientific Humanist Perspective

Nicholas Zacharewski

It is a long-held misunderstanding that evil has exceptional origins. Time and history have proven that evil is banal. An environment of economic crisis, extreme patriotism, and social rejection have all played an essential role in creating some of the greatest atrocities known in human history. The National Socialist (Nazi) party, which controlled the German state from 1933-1945, epitomizes evil. Infamous for its crimes against humanity, however, relatively unknown otherwise, are the origins …

Reimagining Yiddishkeit: Place And Belonging In A Modern Orthodox Synagogue Community, Joshua Jacoves

Senior Theses and Projects

This is a study of the disruption of place and belonging in an urban, multi-generational, Modern Orthodox Jewish community in the Northeastern United States. It asks how members define themselves as part of a religious community. Living within walking distance of their synagogue, members build community based upon shared space. In order to embrace a more pluralistic community, local leaders in the past ten years have been pushing the boundary on what is and is not religiously allowed. This creates new, more inclusive spaces to be formed within this community, which fall along the lines of gender, sexuality, and religious …

The Love Collection Of Chinese Wall Paintings, Donglin Chen

Senior Theses and Projects

The Chinese Fresco Painting (accession #1951.230) at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is a problematic work. The museum registration document showed that this wall painting is thought to have been painted during the Ming dynasty, ruling from 1368 to 1644. It may depict the Goddess of Sons and Grandsons, Zisun Niangniang. However, this is unprovenanced and unresearched. In this paper, connoisseurship analysis and scientific examination of the painting are carried out to elucidate the mystery of this Chinese mural. This study attempted to confirm the Ming Dynasty dating of this painting by demonstrating stylistic affinities between it and other …

“Like-Cures-Like”: Trauma, Incompleteness, And Community In Moby Dick And Beloved, Catherine Doyle

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Exploring Parallel Themes: Comparing Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime And Punishment With Akutagawa Ryūnosuke’S “In A Grove” And “Rashōmon”, Zuozekai Wang

Senior Theses and Projects

This paper highlights the similarities between Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and Akutagawa Ryūnosuke's “In A Grove” and “Rashōmon.” Through an analysis of the themes of female characters, story design, environment and social background in each work, this paper argues that there are striking parallels between the ways in which the two authors address these issues. By examining the similarities and differences between their works, the paper illuminates how Fyodor Dostoevsky and Akutagawa Ryūnosuke use literary works to show their attitude to their respective contemporary social issues.