Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
English Language and Literature Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Literature in English, North America (60)
- Literature in English, British Isles (51)
- Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (19)
- Women's Studies (12)
- Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority (10)
-
- Creative Writing (7)
- Children's and Young Adult Literature (6)
- Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (6)
- Poetry (4)
- Religion (4)
- American Studies (3)
- Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion (3)
- African American Studies (2)
- American Literature (2)
- Classics (2)
- Education (2)
- Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies (2)
- American Popular Culture (1)
- Classical Literature and Philology (1)
- Comparative Philosophy (1)
- Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory (1)
- Educational Methods (1)
- Fiction (1)
- French and Francophone Language and Literature (1)
- French and Francophone Literature (1)
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies (1)
- Medieval Studies (1)
- Modern Languages (1)
- Keyword
-
- Women in Literature (4)
- Women in literature (4)
- Criticism and interpretation John Keats (2)
- Criticism and interpretation Robert Browning (2)
- Geoffrey Chaucer (2)
-
- History and criticism (2)
- Willa Cather criticism and interpretation (2)
- Young adult literature (2)
- "White Trash" (1)
- 19th Century literature (1)
- 19th Century American literature (1)
- 19th Century English Literature history and criticism (1)
- 19th Century English literature (1)
- 20th Century American Literature history and criticism (1)
- 20th Century American literature (1)
- 20th century American Literature: history and criticism (1)
- African American Women in Literature (1)
- African American women in literature (1)
- African Americans (1)
- African Authors (1)
- Agnosticism in Literature (1)
- Agriculture in literature (1)
- American Diaries (1)
- Androgyny (Psychology) in literature (1)
- Anne Sexton (criticism and interpretation) (1)
- Aphra behn (1)
- Apocalyptic Literature History and Criticism (1)
- Appalachian Region (1)
- Appalachian region in literature (1)
- Archetype (psychology) in literature (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 148
Full-Text Articles in English Language and Literature
The Monsters In Our Closets: A Cultural Look At Neo-Victorian Adaptation, Carlie M. Copal
The Monsters In Our Closets: A Cultural Look At Neo-Victorian Adaptation, Carlie M. Copal
Theses & Honors Papers
No abstract provided.
Plays And Punks; Or, Aphra Behn And The Restoration Woman, Amanda J. Thompson
Plays And Punks; Or, Aphra Behn And The Restoration Woman, Amanda J. Thompson
Theses & Honors Papers
In many ways, the Restoration Period in England (1660-1700) is defined by its interest in sexuality. Following the Interregnum (1649-1660), sexuality became a mechanism to distinguish royalists from the “puritanical followers” of Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), particularly through the emergence of the libertine (Novak 56). Libertinism “made the senses a primary source of knowledge,” which challenged “conventional morality” through ritualistic fornication, drunkenness, and adultery (Staves 20). Men, like John Wilmot, the Second Earl of Rochester (1647-1680) wrote bawdy poetry celebrating their sexual conquests. Libertines were also regularly featured in Restoration drama, with playwrights like William Wycherley (1640-1716) and George Etherege (1636-1692) …
Fear And Loathing In Dystopia: The Ruckwartsroman And The Narrative Of Fear, Brooke Vaughan
Fear And Loathing In Dystopia: The Ruckwartsroman And The Narrative Of Fear, Brooke Vaughan
Theses & Honors Papers
No abstract provided.
Perfecting Pamela: Samuel Richardson's Final Revisions To His Earliest Novel, Jennifer S. Elliott
Perfecting Pamela: Samuel Richardson's Final Revisions To His Earliest Novel, Jennifer S. Elliott
Theses & Honors Papers
This author details Richardson’s revision process as he edits his first novel Pamela as the last thing he does before dying. There are three chapters detailing Richardson’s motives behind revising his first novel and his actual revision process, which included three main techniques—substitution, addition, and deletion. Motives considered and argued were: moral purpose and criticism received from others—especially analyzing Shamela, a satire of Pamela—which undermines the morality that Richardson had hoped Pamela accomplished. At the end of the essay, there is an extensive chart complied by the author, spanning a total of 55 pages, of all of Richardson’s …
The Nerd Hour Is At Hand: Portrayals Of Geeks And Nerds In Young Adult Literature Ad Popular Media, Jessica M. Stanley
The Nerd Hour Is At Hand: Portrayals Of Geeks And Nerds In Young Adult Literature Ad Popular Media, Jessica M. Stanley
Theses & Honors Papers
Turn on the television, open a book, or even walk down the street and you will no doubt notice at least one geek or nerd. Most Americans today have heard these terms, and each individual probably has his own working definition of what they mean. Unpacking those definitions, however, is tricky. What is a nerd? What is a geek? How does one identify a person as belonging to these groups? To analyze how modern culture understands geeks and nerds, one must first understand the history behind these terms. While most Americans today recognize and use the words "geek" and "nerd," …
Sehnsucht, Dena Ten Pas
Sehnsucht, Dena Ten Pas
Theses & Honors Papers
Sehnsucht is German, referring to a longing or yearning, sometimes further qualified as the longing for something unknown or something that will never be possible.
Punishment And Praise: Grappling With Shyness In Children's And Young Adult Literature, Katherine Stein
Punishment And Praise: Grappling With Shyness In Children's And Young Adult Literature, Katherine Stein
Theses & Honors Papers
This thesis examines the treatment of childhood shyness in literature for children and young adults. With over thirty examples and reviews of children’s and young adult texts, it describes how shyness is often regarded as a problem in common social models and becomes stigmatized. It reproves the often cruel and disdainful treatment of shyness in such literature and calls for a new look at the common childhood “ailment.”
Ciphers In The Text: The Problems And Promise Of Women's Biblical Fiction, Beth Lonvick Cheuk
Ciphers In The Text: The Problems And Promise Of Women's Biblical Fiction, Beth Lonvick Cheuk
Theses & Honors Papers
Feminists have long been troubled by the underrepresentation, the underinterpretation, and the underauthorization of women in the Bible. And yet scriptures continue to influence Western literature, arguably perpetuating limited narratives and archetypes for women. Some contemporary women writers reject the Bible as inspiration, but others are drawn to it, exposing its limitations, protesting its injustices, or reimagining its possibilities. For revisionist feminist theologians, scriptures are worth reconsidering; despite their problems, the texts hold promise. The three retellings we will consider occupy the full spectrum of revisionist feminist theology. Anita Diamant's The Red Tent resists the Bible, suspiciously surveying the malecrafted …
Young Adult Literature In The High School Classroom: Explanation And Application Of Teacher/Scholar: Student/Scholar Pedagogy, Colleen Barnes Herndon
Young Adult Literature In The High School Classroom: Explanation And Application Of Teacher/Scholar: Student/Scholar Pedagogy, Colleen Barnes Herndon
Theses & Honors Papers
This thesis investigates the ways in which literature is taught in high school English classes. The author expresses frustration with current methods and advocates an increase in teaching Young Adult Literature to high school students in order to encourage the students’ enjoyment of reading. She goes on to discuss how she has taught Young Adult literature in the classroom and includes example lesson plans.
"Playing Superhero": Agency And The Role Of The Teenaged Superhero, Jessica R. Saunders
"Playing Superhero": Agency And The Role Of The Teenaged Superhero, Jessica R. Saunders
Theses & Honors Papers
The discussion of agency within Young Adult Literature is an extensive topic that includes various criteria, such as power in various types of relationships and social ideologies. In the media form of graphic novels, the concept of agency is taken to a separate level because the primary teenagers depicted in graphic novels are titled as superheroes with abilities that surpass the norm. The role of being a teenaged superhero becomes conditional, depending on whether the teenager demands agency in the form of controlling his/her abilities or are assigned the role by their adult prototypes and society. The texts that this …
Hot Pink Love, Katherine R. Sloan
Hot Pink Love, Katherine R. Sloan
Theses & Honors Papers
The purpose of this thesis is to explore the definition of power and control in relationships usually between men and women, but not always. The seven screenplays that make up my thesis all examine power that is uniquely feminine. In a power relationship, does the aggressor have all the power or, is he/she given power by the submissive party? The relationships between men and women, as in "Blood, Buzzed," are examined through a sub-cultural lens that explores sadomasochistic behavior. What line one has to cross in order to be a sadist and what personal sacrifices are made in order to …
The Night Entertainment, Angela Sloan
The Night Entertainment, Angela Sloan
Theses & Honors Papers
The purpose of this thesis is to observe hidden female lives. It is my intention, within these fifteen works of short fiction, to examine the nature of those who seek power and protection through the artifice that is physical beauty, youth, and glamour, specifically through the wearing of makeup and glamorous clothing. Many of the women within these stories are also consumed with material wealth; they use that artifice as a shield from the reality of the enviro1m1ent in which they live, whether it is urban or rural. Sometimes they never even realize to what degree artificiality impacts their daily …
Surviving The Eco-Apocalypse: Losing The Natural World And The Self In Post-Apocalyptic And Dystopian Literature, Samantha Drake
Surviving The Eco-Apocalypse: Losing The Natural World And The Self In Post-Apocalyptic And Dystopian Literature, Samantha Drake
Theses & Honors Papers
This thesis discusses the connection between humanity and the ecosystem as they relate to modern science-fiction/dystopian apocalypse fiction. It explores the increasingly popular trope of antagonism between humanity and the environment, explaining how humans become more alienated from themselves and the environment as they rely more heavily on artificial and technological pursuits. The eco-apocalypse is discussed as a literary theme which warns about the consequences of environmental destruction and how it relates to the destruction and renewal of humanity itself.
The Invisible Other: White Trash In William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! And The Hamlet, Bryant Edwards Trihey
The Invisible Other: White Trash In William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! And The Hamlet, Bryant Edwards Trihey
Theses & Honors Papers
The idea of a “white soul” and the protection of its purity was prolific during William Faulkner’s adolescence in the late 1800s and early 1900s, which is why he feared the establishment of a hybrid mix of races, especially one that tarnished whiteness. This thesis exams whiteness in Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! and The Hamlet. The findings on this thesis indicate that only white trash can fix the problem that is white trash, which means that white trash is not even safe from itself. Faulkner finished Absalom, Absalom! with further avowal of his fear of the tainting of the white …
"'Ic Paet Secgan Maeg, Hwaet Ic Yrmpa Gebad'": Christian Scribes' Condemnation Of Blood Feud And Its Effect On Women In Anglo-Saxon Society, Tara Seate-Beck
"'Ic Paet Secgan Maeg, Hwaet Ic Yrmpa Gebad'": Christian Scribes' Condemnation Of Blood Feud And Its Effect On Women In Anglo-Saxon Society, Tara Seate-Beck
Theses & Honors Papers
In preserving The Wife 's Lament, Wulf and Eadwacer, and Beowulf's battle scene with Grendel's mother, Christian poets and scribes preserved much more than just the literature of Anglo-Saxon England. They recorded the feminine voice, a rare perspective emerging from a society founded principally on the fundamentals of warfare and male dominance. The women's songs stand as testaments to the strife and discord women suffered as a consequence of their husbands' participation in blood feud. Their stories are not merely recounted as third person narratives, as much of the other extant texts from the period are; in the elegies, these …
Romanticism, Language, And The Vox Popul: A Sociolinguistic Analysis Of Wordsworth And Whitman, Jeff Everhart
Romanticism, Language, And The Vox Popul: A Sociolinguistic Analysis Of Wordsworth And Whitman, Jeff Everhart
Theses & Honors Papers
This thesis analyzes the works of Wordsworth and Whitman, focusing on the manifestations of the poets’ language within a socio-cultural construct. The thesis highlights the ways in which the authors’ interactions with socio-cultural events, such as industrialization, impact the ways in which their parole interacts and at times conflicts with the underlying system of poetic tradition. Additionally, the study examines the ways in which Wordsworth and Whitman interact with two binary oppositions central to Romantic philosophy, the living or dead and the pastoral or industrial. The study found evidence to support an epistolary relationship between Walt Whitman and William Wordsworth, …
The Invisible Universe And Other Screenplays, Edward Howarth
The Invisible Universe And Other Screenplays, Edward Howarth
Theses & Honors Papers
In the science fiction classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Roy Neary sacrifices everything, his job, his friends, his family, to pursue an answer that he believes will provide him with a new and better life. With nothing but hazy visions of alien spaceships, and a five note tune lingering in his memory, Roy is nevertheless willing to step outside of his emotional security and risk everything. Science fiction cinema is full of these characters, from Roy in Close Encounters, Truman in The Truman Show (1998), to Evan in The Butterfly Effect (2004), these are people not content …
The Young Adult Addiction Novel: A Modern Tragedy, Carrie Rosson Hicks
The Young Adult Addiction Novel: A Modern Tragedy, Carrie Rosson Hicks
Theses & Honors Papers
This thesis defines tragedy and introduces the young adult addiction novel as a form of modern tragedy. The tragedy genre has altered drastically throughout the ages. The new brands of tragedy reflects the vastly different society in which modern readers live, whereas, original tragedies focused on royalty or political leaders and were often written in verse until the eighteenth. This thesis examines Ellen Hopkins’ Crank (2004) and Melvin Burgess’ Smack (1996). The examination found that Crank is written in free verse, not as a tribute to the great poets of old, but as a way to add emphasis to words, …
Boxed Up, Alicia Raymond
Boxed Up, Alicia Raymond
Theses & Honors Papers
The purpose of this thesis is to conduct an examination through creative nonfiction of the definition of home and how I personally define and apply this definition to my own life. In the nine essays serving as my thesis, collectively entitled "Boxed Up," I have delved into the definitions of home and how it applies to my family, my experiences and encounters with people around me, and the twelve times that I have moved. The sense and definition of a home has a strong tie to where someone grew up and to what culture one acclimates oneself. There is also …
The Men Behind: A Collection Of Essays, Jennifer Lynne Parkes
The Men Behind: A Collection Of Essays, Jennifer Lynne Parkes
Theses & Honors Papers
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the impact different people, specifically men, life situations and choices have had on developing a feminine, or not so feminine, outlook on the woman I have become. In order to analyze myself, it became necessary to recall some of the major incidences that have helped to define me; this analysis then created a need to embrace honest truth. I say honest truth because I had developed a version of truth that allowed me to be comfortable and accepting of myself, but honest truth required me to dig deeper than the glossy version …
What He Had Never Done Before And Other Plays, Alex Odom
What He Had Never Done Before And Other Plays, Alex Odom
Theses & Honors Papers
The purpose of this thesis is to conduct an exploration of masculinity through the creation of fictional voices and use of dramatic structures. The five pieces of dramatic writing which make up my thesis, four plays and one screenplay, collectively entitled "What He Had Never Done Before and Other Plays," have proven to be an examination of masculinity through personal relationships, primarily the roles of brothers and husbands. These relationships focus on the guilt associated with perceived masculine behavior, the often wrong decisions boys make to feel more like men, the often violent or dishonest behavior. The plays explore the …
Narrative Distance In The Works Of George Gordon, Lord Byron, And Jonathan Swift, Or "A Digression In Praise Of Digressions", Samantha M. Cash, E. Derek Taylor Ph.D.
Narrative Distance In The Works Of George Gordon, Lord Byron, And Jonathan Swift, Or "A Digression In Praise Of Digressions", Samantha M. Cash, E. Derek Taylor Ph.D.
Theses & Honors Papers
This thesis reviews and discusses narrative distance in the works of George Gordon, Lord Byron, and Jonathan Swift or “A Digression in Praise of Digressions.” Byron takes on multiple roles in his poetry. Swift provided Byron a model for how to negotiate the boundaries of fictional self-fashioning and biographical revelation. Bryon’s technique of presenting a version of himself while simultaneously maintaining narrative distance is a distinct characteristics of Swift’s work. The thesis adapts to an important fact in that Byron, although writing in the age of Romanticism, significantly and unflinchingly sought distance between himself and Romantic figures.
Coming To Terms, Leslie Smith
Coming To Terms, Leslie Smith
Theses & Honors Papers
The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the roles of resistance and acceptance in my life through creative nonfiction. In the six essays serving as my thesis, collectively entitled Coming to Terms, I have approached my life from different angles in order to both identify and explore topics of control and conflict, realization and acceptance. These originate in various degrees from my family, my schooling, and from society at large, but most importantly, from my own interpretation of what it is to grow up and assert myself, accepting the past in order to change the future: "If you're cognizant …
Papacy In Paganism: The Great Schism Of Palamon And Arcite, Samantha Kathleen Diaz
Papacy In Paganism: The Great Schism Of Palamon And Arcite, Samantha Kathleen Diaz
Theses & Honors Papers
This thesis looks at Geoffrey Chaucer’s the Canterbury Tales in the historical context of the Great Schism of the Catholic Church, during which time Chaucer lived and was writing the Canterbury Tales. It compares this work with Giovanni Boccaccio’s Teseida Delle Nozze d’Emilia and analyzes the way in which the two literary works critique the conflict in the Catholic Church in that time period, as well as giving hints to Chaucer’s views on these events and of the Catholic Church as a whole.
King Of The Who? The Collective Unconscious And The Crafting Of National Identity In The Medieval Arthurian Tradition, Melissa Ridley-Elmes
King Of The Who? The Collective Unconscious And The Crafting Of National Identity In The Medieval Arthurian Tradition, Melissa Ridley-Elmes
Theses & Honors Papers
This thesis examines the ways in which British writers of old have attempted to create a sort of ideal, national, British identity through the archetypal image of King Arthur, the “once and future king.” Drawing from sources such as Malory, Laʒamon, and Geoffrey of Monmouth, this thesis suggests that these authors’ texts, along with the texts of others who have modified the myth throughout history, have helped change and develop the way in which Britons think of themselves and their nation over the course of time.
The Reality Of Happily Ever After: Charlotte Bronte's Revision Of Fairy Tales In Jane Eyre, Sarah Rice
The Reality Of Happily Ever After: Charlotte Bronte's Revision Of Fairy Tales In Jane Eyre, Sarah Rice
Theses & Honors Papers
This thesis analyzes Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre through the lens of fairy tale stories, investigating the parts of Jane’s story that seem to parallel stories such as “Bluebeard” and “Cinderella”. It argues for a revisionist view of fairy tales as created by Bronte and discusses how the usage of fairy tale elements helps to further the plot and sociocultural messages of Jane Eyre.
"There's Nothing Like Dancing, After All" Gender As Performance In Jane Austen's Dance Scenes, D. Nicole Swann
"There's Nothing Like Dancing, After All" Gender As Performance In Jane Austen's Dance Scenes, D. Nicole Swann
Theses & Honors Papers
This thesis examines the elaborate and intricate dance scenes in many of Jane Austen’s novels as representations of marriage and the performance of gender. Along with looking at the successful marriages in Austen’s novels which result from the social convention of English country dancing, this thesis also analyzes the failed relationships and broken hearts that result from Austenian dancing and discusses the role of gender in finding both a good dance partner and a good spouse.
Manacled Desires: William Blake's Struggle For Sexual Autonomy, Cheryl Adams Rychkov
Manacled Desires: William Blake's Struggle For Sexual Autonomy, Cheryl Adams Rychkov
Theses & Honors Papers
This thesis closely examines William Blake’s attitudes towards women and compares and contrasts the texts with what can be known of Blake’s life and world. It examines his interest in sexual freedom and where these interests might have emerged from. The author explores the possibility that he might be interested in sexual freedom for the benefit of both men and women.
"What Man As Made Of Man": From British Romanticism To Neo-Romanticism, Melissa A. Pelletier
"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
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.