English Language and Literature Commons^™

Apollo’S Ghost: Joseph Conrad’S Father As Kurtz Prototype, Peter M. Jasinski, Dr. John S. Tanner

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Though he became one of England’s greatest writers, Joseph Conrad was a native of Poland. His father, Apollo Korzeniowski, was a writer, Polish patriot, and martyr for his country. For this grant, I proposed to research the plausibility of Apollo as a prototype for one of Conrad’s most complex characters: Kurtz of Heart of Darkness. Prior to receiving the ORCA grant, I had written a paper with this thesis and submitted it to Conradiana, a leading peer-reviewed Conrad journal. In response, I received a letter from the editor and comments from a reviewer, both confirming that my argument …

Defining Gender Differences In Suriname Through Language, Shaun Hunley, Dr. David Bowie

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For the people of Suriname, the word “Sranan” is more than just a word, it is a symbol of national pride and independence. “Sranan” is the native word for Suriname, a small country on the northeastern coast of South America. Throughout its remarkable history, Suriname has transformed into a nation rich in culture and values. Its unique society bears the scars of Dutch colonialism while absorbing facets of African, Indian, and Indonesian cultures.

Treatment Of Gender In Adolescent Fantasy Literature: An Analysis Of J.K. Rowling And Robin Mckinley, Amberly Draper, Dr. Joyce Nelson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Gender portrayal is a topic at the forefront of literacy studies; current research seems to indicate that both boys and girls have been negatively affected by exposure to inequitable portrayals of gender in adolescent literature. My research has focused on two popular fantasy fiction writers in an attempt to show examples of young adult literature depicting positive and enabling gender roles and characteristics, portrayals which I think are capable of helping girls and boys. This report will relate some of the history of gender based literary analysis, give an overview of the works of Rowling and McKinley, and then give …

What I Meant To Say… My Experiment In Writing A First Novel, Olivia Debbie Birdsall, Dr. Louise Plummer

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I find it difficult to begin this report with a generalization about my topic of study, as most ORCA recipients do, because there is no generalization that seems appropriate for the subject of writing, or what my experience with it over the last year has been. Writing a novel, especially your first, is bound to be as unique an experience for each writer as the novels they produce. One great quandary simply doesn’t exist, nor does one great solution, nor one infallible technique or manner of writing. I did not set out to solve a problem that affects all of …

Gerard Manley Hopkins And Old English Poetic Compounds, Ryan Christensen, Dr. Don Chapman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It has become almost commonplace to assume a strong connection between the poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins, a Victorian poet, and the Old English tradition. Hopkins himself noted similarities, as have critics from the year his poems were first published. One aspect of Hopkins’ style that has often been assumed to be similar to Old English is his use of compound words. Because compound words are such a noticeable feature both of Hopkins’ work and of the Old English poems, many have implied that Hopkins’ compounds are somehow derivative of their Old English counterparts.

God’S Youngest Son: A Novel Of The Taiping Rebellion, Adam H. Greenwood, Dr. Chris Crowe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Taiping, a native Chinese Christian movement and rebellion in the 1850s and 1860s, had prophecy, polygamy, and wanted to set up God’s kingdom here on the earth. These positions earned them the opposition of China’s missionaries and colonial powers, not to mention that of their own government, the Manchu Imperial dynasty.

Poetry Archives On The Web: Thomas Gray Archive, The Poetry Of The Gentleman’S Magazine, 1731-1800: An Electronic Database Of Titles, Authors, And First Lines, And The Poetess Archive, Kate Parker

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

Recent innovations in digital scholarship have enabled new online archives, editions and bibliographies to flourish. Three such online resources--the Thomas Gray Archive, the Poetess Archive, and The Poetry of the Gentleman’s Magazine, 1731-1800: An Electronic Database of Titles, Authors, and First Lines--are explored in depth in this review, with an eye to how each archive specifically encourages scholarly collaboration and makes use of crowd-sourcing technologies.

Nineteenth Century Mormon Poetry, Samuel S. Harkness, Dr. Richard H. Cracroft

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I still recall the day over four years ago when a General Authority proclaimed the LDS hymnal to be a ‘book of scripture.’ His seemingly bold declaration surprised me; but after reconsideration, it made sense. Some of the most spiritual times in my life have been accompanied by these “songs of the heart” (Doctrine and Covenants 45) Thus, the Preface of the hymnal reads, “Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns” (First Presidency ix). From then on, I viewed the hymns in a different light.

Sarcasm In The Bible: Old Testament Prophets And The Unbridled Tongue, Leanna Kowallis, Dr. Steven Walker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Studying the Bible as literature, as opposed to studying it solely as scripture, opens up many insights into the meaning of the text. These insights are gained by viewing the text through different lenses, one of which is humor, and more specifically, sarcasm. Whether they are blatant or subtle, sarcastic remarks are found throughout the Bible in many different anecdotes and personalities. Although it is commonly believed that humor and sarcasm have no place in scripture, I believe they do have value as tools to understanding what is happening in the text.

Making Thai Literature Available To The English Speaking Audience: Translating Ganokpong Songsomphan’S Stories From Thai To English, Lewis Jones, Dr. Alma Keith Lawrence

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Currently many readers are beginning to turn to translated literature to add some spice to their readings. Magazines such as Harper’s and The New Yorker are publishing more and more translated literature as the demand for it continues to grow. Much of the translated literature which is published is Asian literature; however, it is mainly Chinese and Japanese literature which is currently being translated. When I searched online to find the Thai literature available, I was disappointed to find that it consisted mainly of cook books. I thought that the Asian literature audience, if given the chance, would appreciate Thai …

The Impact Of Latino Folklore On The Future Of American Culture, Sally M. Giles, Dr. Trenton Hickman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A wide variety of nationalities have come together in this country to create what we now call American culture. As any culture develops, the folklore that is passed down from one generation to the next, in the form of stories and anecdotes, plays a vital role. Recently, Latinos have become the largest minority group in the United States, and rising. In order to understand the future of American culture, we must examine the stories that Latinos are currently passing down to their children.

Metatheatrical Gender: The Empowerment Of Female Roles In Renaissance Theater, Elisa Clements, Dr. Gideon O. Burton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Discussions about women in our 21st century era when awareness of feminist issues is intensified ultimately boil down to questions of identity and roles. The different roles that women play, the hats that they wear on a daily basis and trade regularly for other hats, require different things of them–a different performance in each role. Tradition, society, culture, and religion each influence their performance and their script. Why do they wear these multiple hats and what do these shifting costumes indicate about their true identities? In a situation similar to our modernday focus on women, during the English Renaissance questions …

Resolving Ethical Issues In Creating A Web Site, Leigh Brown, Heather Kirby, Doris R. Dant

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For many people today, the Internet and its technical components are still fairly new. While building websites has become a popular pastime, many people want to join in. The web site Heather and I have been creating offers helpful guidelines for creating a website and discusses important ethical issues regarding publishing on the web. Our home page navigation bar consists of seven menu items: Being Reliable, Maintaining Accurate Content, Getting Permissions, Linking Ethically, Registering, Copyrighting, and Being Aware of Other Issues. Each of these homepage items links to a separate page on the site. On each page we discuss, in …

Tutoring Techniques In Online Vs. Face-To-Face Environments, Melissa Helquist, Dr. Beverly Zimmerman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Online tutoring is a commonly used, but rarely evaluated, pedagogical extension of the traditional campus writing center. Online tutoring moves one-on-one student/ tutor conferences from a familiar face-to-face environment to the less familiar environment of the Internet (via email, chatrooms, MOOs, etc.) I conducted a qualitative study, observing over the course of a semester the workings of UVSC’s online tutorial system. I initially planned to focus on the student side of the issue, to document how students were helped or hindered by tutorials in the online environment; however, because of low student involvement in my research project, my focus moved …

Mauricio Novoa, Class Of 2014, Musselman Library, Mauricio E. Novoa

Next Page

In the current issue of Next Page, Mauricio Novoa, Class of 2014 and winner of the Silent Leader Award, tells us which authors‘ discourse on race has inspired him and what poet Marianne Moore has taught him about writing.

Re-Scripting Mexican-Americans In Chicana/O Juvenile Literature, Xóchitl Michaela Anson, Dr. Trenton Hickman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Previous to this project I gathered information (photographs, newspaper articles and reviews, advertisements, and dime novels) interrogating misconceptions and stereotypes of Mexican- Americans that have dominated the American literary canon for at least the last two centuries. For this project I focused primarily on 20th century Chicana/o texts in two fundamental ways. Firstly, I considered particular political, social and economic events directly affecting Mexican- Americans and how much these events account for the flood of Chicana/o texts throughout the Chicano movement to the present. Secondly, by combining my first directive with my previous research, I expected to better identify the …

How Do Comics Artists Use Speech Balloons?, Frank Bramlett

English Faculty Publications

This post is the first in a series on how comics artists represent talk in comics. I’ll be writing about speech balloons and how the discipline of conversation analysis (CA) helps us understand how creative these artists can be when they try to show the intricacies of everyday talk.

Consider the following two panels. These are from the webcomic Scenes from a Multiverse by Jon Rosenberg. (Click on each of the titles to see the full comic.)

Don't Underestimate The Power Of Pleasure Reading, Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Michael W. Smith

English Literature Faculty Publications and Presentations

A recent study by David Comer Kidd and Emanuele Castano of The New School for Social Research in New York City argues that reading literary fiction (as compared with reading popular fiction, or nothing at all) temporarily enhances one's ability to understand others' mental states and deepens empathy. The study—published in the journal Science in October—grabbed a lot of attention, including a front-page article in The New York Times.

January 21, 2014: Gigante To Deliver Keynote Lecture, Department Of English

Gleanings: Department of English Blog Archive

No abstract provided.

Eng 3110g-001: Cultural Foundations Ii: India, China And The Middle East, Dannie Otto, Michael Loudon

Spring 2014

No abstract provided.