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Articles 1 - 30 of 104
Full-Text Articles in English Language and Literature
Empathy In The Classroom: How Great Books Create Meaningful Discussion, Courtney Whitaker
Empathy In The Classroom: How Great Books Create Meaningful Discussion, Courtney Whitaker
Masters Theses
Every day it seems there is another news story detailing our problem of division and polarization, especially where race is concerned. In this thesis, I will explore the ways in which teachers can facilitate empathy within their students, especially through utilizing literary works that address prejudice and division. I intend to approach this topic through the lens of a biblical worldview and draw from current scholarship in making a case for literature as a lesson in empathy. I will conclude with addressing a variety of well-known literary works and the practical ways in which teachers can utilize them in the …
Thesis Proposal And Project: The Christmas Fiddle, Tamara N. Canty
Thesis Proposal And Project: The Christmas Fiddle, Tamara N. Canty
Masters Theses
The thesis discusses how Christian creatives can create art that glorifies God, while shining light into a dark world by highlighting the contributions of Christian creatives in the entertainment industry. The research heralds the testimonies of several notable Christian creatives and how they have successfully navigated their way through a largely secular industry.
Noticing The Brush Strokes: Literary Markers In Hebrew Narratives, Shelbey Hunt
Noticing The Brush Strokes: Literary Markers In Hebrew Narratives, Shelbey Hunt
Masters Theses
As the people who set out to write, edit, and form the Bible may have used embellishments to enhance their narratives, could they also have left literary markers to help the reader chart a course between the historical and the enhanced? The purpose of this thesis is to find these literary markers. Exposing any potential grammatical or syntactical signpost can help the reader understand how they should view a given Biblical story and help reveal the messages the authors behind the scripture were sharing. The book of Jonah will be used as a case study to both discover and elaborate …
The City Clerk And The Body In The Basement, Celeste J. Mcfall
The City Clerk And The Body In The Basement, Celeste J. Mcfall
Masters Theses
Writing has been not only my source of income, but also an avenue to display my own thoughts through the words of others for the past four decades. Being able to incorporate my own personality across the genres in written form has given me, and many readers, an expanded knowledge and enjoyment. While it is well known that writing has physical and mental health benefits, quite often writers don’t realize how much of themselves is poured into their work. This theory was especially true for me during the COVID years, when I worked, mostly alone, as the City Clerk for …
Analyzing The Cynical Perspective Of Death In The Book Thief, Dorothy Elizabeth Hollar
Analyzing The Cynical Perspective Of Death In The Book Thief, Dorothy Elizabeth Hollar
Masters Theses
In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, death is used as a theme and a character to convey the plot of the story. The character of death is used as a device to show the life of a young girl living in Nazi Germany through the eyes of something more sinister and pessimistic. The story explores trauma, friendship, and the power of words when it seems all hope is lost. This thesis will explore the aspect of death as a character and will examine how it works in the story. The creative portion of my thesis will examine the themes …
A Source-Critical Analysis Of The Synoptic Resurrection Accounts, Austin W. Blunt
A Source-Critical Analysis Of The Synoptic Resurrection Accounts, Austin W. Blunt
Masters Theses
This thesis applies the Four-Source Hypothesis to the study of the resurrection accounts in the Synoptic Gospels. Scholars have addressed the Synoptic Problem in a variety of ways. Some have sought to harmonize the Gospels into one cohesive narrative, while others have concluded that the writings are contradictory and irreconcilable. Addressing the challenges associated with the Synoptic problem, this study evaluates the claims that each Gospel writer makes about the resurrection of Christ while assessing the unique characteristics and points of emphasis in each account. The resurrection narratives are used as a case study because of their importance to Christianity …
Using Memoir To Explore And Heal Trauma Inflicted By Emotional Abuse, Accompanied By Excavating Me, A Memoir, Amy G. Partain
Using Memoir To Explore And Heal Trauma Inflicted By Emotional Abuse, Accompanied By Excavating Me, A Memoir, Amy G. Partain
Masters Theses
"Using Memoir to Explore and Heal Trauma Inflicted by Emotional Abuse, accompanied by Excavating Me, A Memoir" by Amy G. Partain details the use of the memoir's literary genre to process trauma resulting from emotional abuse incurred during childhood and adulthood. The paper includes comparisons of three published memoirs about abusive childhoods. It culminates with the author's memoir recounting emotionally abusive experiences with both her parents and her former spouse.
Characterizing The Female Main Character, Addison Leana Butler
Characterizing The Female Main Character, Addison Leana Butler
Masters Theses
The strong female character is a term tossed around writing groups, book clubs, and TikTok as something to both strive to see and critique in literature. This research paper transformed throughout the actual research as it went from a study on cozy fantasy emergence and its effects to strong female characters and how to write them well, to its current iteration along similar lines of writing strong female characters. Qualitative and quantitative data was gathered through the use of a survey that I wrote and put to the field, research done primarily through JSTOR, and interviews conducted with experts in …
“A More Perfect World”: Posthumanism And Technological Integration In A Memory Called Empire, Garrett R. Johnson
“A More Perfect World”: Posthumanism And Technological Integration In A Memory Called Empire, Garrett R. Johnson
Masters Theses
This thesis considers the relationship of technology to the human through a posthumanist lens, questioning what will become of the human an increasingly more-than-human world through an examination of the novel A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. Through an examination of the imago device from the novel, the thesis evaluates the human experience of memory and the influence of empire. The thesis advances four key concepts: 1. The collapsed divide between the human and the technic through memory and imagination; 2. Technology’s development and use; 3. The user that is integrated with the technic; and 4. The poisonous influence …
Turning Heartache Into Hope: How Fantasy Reveals Spiritual Truth About Sin, Suffering, And Redemption, Sophia Raffaelle Bricker
Turning Heartache Into Hope: How Fantasy Reveals Spiritual Truth About Sin, Suffering, And Redemption, Sophia Raffaelle Bricker
Masters Theses
This paper examines the problem of evil and suffering through the literary genre of fantasy. Seminal texts written by Christians in this genre present the problem of sin and death through themes and representative characters but also tempers the reality of suffering with the presence of Christ figures, who bring redemption to the characters and story world through an act of sacrifice. Following the examples of these seminal fantasies and building on my personal experience of loss, I approach the problem of sin and suffering in excerpts from my novel in progress, The Mountain Pass Keeper, by presenting an older …
Alanda Macmaster & The Realm Of The Faes, Allana Lynn Walker
Alanda Macmaster & The Realm Of The Faes, Allana Lynn Walker
Masters Theses
Though there are exceptions to this rule, today’s bestselling Young Adult (YA) fantasy novels tend to be riddled with gratuitous sex and violence—material far too mature for developing minds. While this kind of content is hardly new to adult fiction, it has, over the last few years, crept steadily and insidiously into books for younger readers. Reading today’s fiction, one would think these were essential elements of a good story. The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of The Rings clearly prove otherwise. Through The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien demonstrated …
The Interplay Between Language And Culture In J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Mackenzie Wangberg
The Interplay Between Language And Culture In J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Mackenzie Wangberg
Masters Theses
The construction of detailed languages was a lifelong passion of J.R.R. Tolkien. While creating the world of Middle-earth, he assigned different languages to the various cultures which inhabit this fantasy landscape. He carefully matched languages and cultures to try to elicit particular responses from his audience. It is well known that J.R.R. Tolkien wanted certain languages of Middle-earth to sound beautiful and others to sound ugly. Research so far, however, has not answered why the specific phonemes, or sounds, which Tolkien chose for these languages might cause the specific reactions he intended. I have used Tolkien’s influences to explain why …
Cruisin' The Coast: A Practice In Passionate Observation, Laura Jean Keriazakos
Cruisin' The Coast: A Practice In Passionate Observation, Laura Jean Keriazakos
Masters Theses
The term Passionate Observation is presented as an ability that improves creative writing. It requires a writer to absorb details, noticed or perceived, with intense imagination and reasoning. I present a three-pronged case for acceptance and development of this skill for writing mystery fiction. Examined in this paper are the literary talents of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, along with the supposition both authors were passionate observers. Moreover, through the lens of education, I connect visual literacy, kinesthetic research, and passionate observation. Then, I show the philosophical correlation between observation in science and passionate observation in creative writing. …
Finding Hope, April Renae Musekamp
Finding Hope, April Renae Musekamp
Masters Theses
Hope Diaz is a young military spouse who prefers baking to people. Her husband has just died while he was serving overseas. In her overwhelming grief, Daisy has to decide where she will live after her time in base housing runs out and what she will do to support herself. She finds solace in a local grief support group, but will her tenuous relationship with her mother comfort her through continuing loss? Hope accepts a job offer from an old baking instructor, but that means leaving behind her support system and places full of memories with her husband. Things don’t …
Personal Touches: Translation Poetics In Chinese Translations Of Shakespeare Plays, Gabriella Smith
Personal Touches: Translation Poetics In Chinese Translations Of Shakespeare Plays, Gabriella Smith
Masters Theses
Translation, rather than a process of equivalency, requires linguistic and cultural mediation on behalf of the translator. Thought of in this way, the translation process becomes a process of rewriting to fit the sociolinguistic context, and the translator becomes the most important factor in determining how well a translation can fill in gaps present in the knowledge of the target audience. To provide a better understanding of how those with no training in translation seek to fit a translation to the linguistic audience they are provided, I conducted a study of two native bilingual Chinese students on the Wadsworth version …
Bearing Witness To Human Value: Race Relations Under The Apartheid Regime In Select Works Of Athol Fugard, Cameron Alex Yngsdal
Bearing Witness To Human Value: Race Relations Under The Apartheid Regime In Select Works Of Athol Fugard, Cameron Alex Yngsdal
Masters Theses
South African white playwright Athol Fugard utilized his theatrical expertise to articulate a socially conscious voice of protest against the oppressive systems implemented by the South African Apartheid government. Because of his writing taking place in the particularized Apartheid-specific setting, where he, as a member of the white minority, he was afforded the freedoms and opportunities which were not offered to members of non-white races. Thus, although Fugard’s race offered him opportunities to protest Apartheid, it brought the possibility of incorrectly portraying non-white South Africans. This incorrect portrayal, known as the “white savior complex,” wherein a white figure rescues the …
The Deep End: A Journey Of Faith, Janet M. Henderson
The Deep End: A Journey Of Faith, Janet M. Henderson
Masters Theses
This paper is an expansion of papers written in my MFA program’s creative non-fiction writing class and workshop. In English 600: Editing, Layout, and Publishing, the class wrote a paper to document our faith journey and our approach to understanding ourselves and our worldview based on our religious indoctrination. This paper was 10-15 pages long and had a title page, a table of contents, an acknowledgment page, and a dedication page. After writing this paper, I began to consider the possibility of writing a longer work that would dig deeper into the real essence of my faith walk. It would …
Developing Biblical, Community-Based Resources For Military Wives Entering The Empty Nest And Midlife Transition Period, Cynthia Louise Stumme
Developing Biblical, Community-Based Resources For Military Wives Entering The Empty Nest And Midlife Transition Period, Cynthia Louise Stumme
Masters Theses
Military wives approaching the onset of middle age and the empty nest should have access to resources that help them navigate the challenges of midlife within the context of the military lifestyle. The US military provides resources supporting successful family relationships for almost every other demographic except for military wives at the midlife and empty nest stage of life. While midlife is understudied as a life stage, the existing research does identify specific objectives for personal development and growth during middle age which lead to thriving in that stage and in old age. Using these objectives as a guide, this …
Mini Memoirs: Poetry As A Medium For Memories, Liesl Anna Counterman
Mini Memoirs: Poetry As A Medium For Memories, Liesl Anna Counterman
Masters Theses
For the critical paper, I explore the use of poetry as a form of memoir. Over the years, I have journaled by writing poetry, and for the purpose of this paper, I have studied the marriage of poetry and memoir. My critical paper research has directed me towards how memoirists (including autobiographers and biographers of the past) have used poetry in their writings and how the truth about the past is verified and enhanced by poetic works. Poetry seems to be a vehicle of preserving truth, thus proving the veracity of the emotions and experiences within a historical context. Since …
Discovering “God Almighty”: An Exploration Of Kurt Vonnegut’S Mythmaking In Sirens Of Titan, Cat’S Cradle, And Slaughterhouse-Five, Megan Joy Kehoe
Discovering “God Almighty”: An Exploration Of Kurt Vonnegut’S Mythmaking In Sirens Of Titan, Cat’S Cradle, And Slaughterhouse-Five, Megan Joy Kehoe
Masters Theses
In an interview with Charlie Reilly interview, Kurt Vonnegut argues, “The Christ story is marvelous, but it’s not really about people like us” (“Two Conversations” 20). Vonnegut makes clear his appreciation for Christ, though he critiques the gospel’s relevance to humankind. In his own novels, Vonnegut takes from popular religion and creates his own stories, mythologies that are carefully catered to the human experience. In this evaluation of three of Vonnegut’s, I offer a new reading of the author which highlights his use of mythology, his parodies of God Almighty, and his hope for the direction of mankind. I begin …
Restoring Female Agency: Wicked As A Feminist Fairy-Tale Revision, Erica Nicole Fox
Restoring Female Agency: Wicked As A Feminist Fairy-Tale Revision, Erica Nicole Fox
Masters Theses
One method of promoting gender equality that has gained popularity in recent years involves revising the fairy tales, primarily the ones compiled and revised by Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Anderson, and the Grimm brothers, to create versions in which the female characters have agency and purpose outside of furthering patriarchal gender ideals. The primary goal of the feminist fairy-tale revision is to give the female characters agency, not because they are women, but because they are functioning characters within the story. While there are many authors who attempt to create fairy-tale revisions that embody a feminist perspective, not all are …
The Supporting Role: Cultivating A Writing Life To Prevent And Combat Writer's Block, Molly Elizabeth Hanberry
The Supporting Role: Cultivating A Writing Life To Prevent And Combat Writer's Block, Molly Elizabeth Hanberry
Masters Theses
Every writer will suffer from writer’s block from time to time, and there are two general schools of thought in dealing with this affliction: wait it out or struggle through. The purpose of this thesis is to illuminate the nature of writer’s block from a fundamental level, beginning with the neuroscience of creativity. From there, it will explore the three root causes of writer’s block: lack of inspiration, burnout, and fear. And finally, with an understanding of its causes, it will be possible to examine ways to combat writer’s block through methods based in neuroscience, personal experience, and professional advice …
Finding Home In Merry Hill: Appalachia Beyond The Mountains In Arnow's The Dollmaker, Adrienne Oliver
Finding Home In Merry Hill: Appalachia Beyond The Mountains In Arnow's The Dollmaker, Adrienne Oliver
Masters Theses
The migration of Gertie Nevels in Arnow’s The Dollmaker from Appalachian Kentucky to Detroit examines the tense relationship between two vastly different cultures forced together in the city. Gertie’s identity as a strong, capable Appalachian woman used to the agrarian lifestyle of 1940s Kentucky struggles to find roots in the mechanized world of Detroit. In the city, Gertie faces fervent rejection of her Appalachian culture. She finds that Detroit society encourages her to adapt to the cultural norms of the city and put away her Appalachian practices. However, Gertie’s ability to adapt to the social demands of the city does …
The Prevalence Of Grammar In Virginia Higher Education, Caroline Nicatie Stimpson
The Prevalence Of Grammar In Virginia Higher Education, Caroline Nicatie Stimpson
Masters Theses
This thesis describes why the prescriptive grammar model should be implemented in public education rather than the descriptive grammar model. For the purposes of this paper, prescriptive grammar refers to how words ought to be used, while descriptive grammar refers to how words are used by native speakers in natural settings. The central issue I address in this thesis is how prescriptive grammar enables students to read and write properly, heightens their linguistic knowledge, improves their ability to express themselves, and teaches them useful skills for future educational and employment opportunities. Additionally, it outlines the flaws inherent in the descriptive …
Bridging The Gap Between Secondary Writing Instruction And Post-Secondary Writing Needs, Elexcia S. Washington
Bridging The Gap Between Secondary Writing Instruction And Post-Secondary Writing Needs, Elexcia S. Washington
Masters Theses
Secondary students across the United States often graduate without the prerequisite writing skills needed for post-secondary education and employment success. This thesis examines the history of U.S. writing instruction and the influential figures that have influenced writing instruction across secondary school classrooms. It also explores the effects of teacher education and legislation like the Elementary and Secondary Education and No Child Left Behind acts on writing outcomes. This thesis also identifies the most effective evidence-based writing interventions before concluding with recommendations and a teacher's guide.
“You Never Get It Out Of Your Bones”: The Christ-Haunted Security Of Jean Louise “Scout” Finch In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird And Go Set A Watchman, Corley E. Humphrey
“You Never Get It Out Of Your Bones”: The Christ-Haunted Security Of Jean Louise “Scout” Finch In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird And Go Set A Watchman, Corley E. Humphrey
Masters Theses
Harper Lee’s novels To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman emphasize the struggle of mid-twentieth century Southern identity as Southerners searched for security, and she does so particularly in her main character, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. Throughout the novels, Jean Louise fights to find a balance within herself as she learns to decide what to accept or reject from her Southern culture. Using New Historicism and Southern Female Gender Studies, this thesis analyzes the character development of Jean Louise “Scout” in the novels and the traits she consistently accepts—discrimination and respect, honor of family, grace—and the ones she …
The Voyage Of The Reunion, Hamilton Keller Bright
The Voyage Of The Reunion, Hamilton Keller Bright
Masters Theses
The Voyage of the Reunion is a collection of short stories centered around three men, Captain Adams, Mr. Freire, and Reverend Kaff, on a mission to reunite Earth’s lost colonies with the galaxy at large. However, not all is well on these lost worlds, and many dangers await them in the darkness of space. In the course of their journey, they wrestle with questions of mankind’s relation to technology, personal identity, and what it means to be human.
Global Englishes: Variations Of A Single Language In All English Classrooms, Amanda Leigh Faulkenberry
Global Englishes: Variations Of A Single Language In All English Classrooms, Amanda Leigh Faulkenberry
Masters Theses
This study was conducted in order to develop a procedure for creating a globally recognized curriculum for teaching students and teachers about global variations of English. The study first sought to discover attitudes towards global variations of English of speakers in each of Kachru’s three-circles model of World Englishes. Once there was an understanding of the negative attitudes that exist towards variations that fall within all three circles, the next goal was to determine what was being done to change this negative attitude. This meant analyzing curriculum and studies to determine how students and teachers are being educated on the …
The Quest Of Love: A Liturgical Reading Of The Pilgrim's Progress, Matthew Charles Fox
The Quest Of Love: A Liturgical Reading Of The Pilgrim's Progress, Matthew Charles Fox
Masters Theses
John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress has been enjoyed for its imaginative story by a wide variety of readers since its publication in 1678, but criticism has long treated Bunyan’s imaginative story-telling as separate from and at odds with his Puritanism. If this were the case and expositing theological doctrine was Bunyan’s main purpose, then why would he write a fiction? Using James K. A. Smith idea of “liturgical pedagogy” from his Cultural Liturgies series, this thesis argues that Bunyan’s story does more than vividly convey theological doctrine to the reader’s mind; rather, it captures the imagination of the reader’s heart, …
Originality, Decorum, And Fantastic Sight In Dostoevsky's The Idiot, Richard A. Decker
Originality, Decorum, And Fantastic Sight In Dostoevsky's The Idiot, Richard A. Decker
Masters Theses
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “fantastic realism” penetrates reality’s surface to reveal what he refers to as the “moral center” of reality and, in the process, transfigures readers. In Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, the novel’s main protagonist, Prince Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin, embodies this fantastic realism. This process provides Myshkin with a “fantastic sight” that allows him to see past the immorality of the manners—or “feigned decorum”—of Russian society as represented in the novel. In so doing, Myshkin serves his peers as a “Nouwenian minister,” classifying him as a “wounded healer” archetype as presented in Henri J. M. Nouwen’s The Wounded Healer. This …