Digital Commons Network^™

The Story Keepers: A Creative Manuscript, Katie Ann Willson

Masters Theses

Through my work in the Story Keepers, we look at things from the viewpoint of Eleanor. The context there is that she was raised primarily by her father, having a mother who, while loving and kind, was absent much of her life. She lived with her father, grandfather and uncle and was raised in a studious, loving and wealthy environment. She spent much of her life in a library, making friends with the librarians and other workers. It’s only later, after she’s been through challenges and trials (and education), that she is deemed worthy and ready to advance to a …

World War Two Glider Borne Forces: The Role Of British Doctrine In Effective Military Change, John W. Stegall

Masters Theses

The United States’ National Defense Strategy has shifted from fighting an asymmetrical, fourth generation adversary utilizing counterinsurgency and unconventional warfare to preparing for a peer/near peer conventional conflict focused on the Pacific and Central Europe. Modern maneuver commanders and operational planners can apply the economy of force, criticality of speed plus precision in kinetic engagements, value of highly trained, task organized small units, and technological incorporation knowledge gathered from analyzing the World War II glider operations executed by Germany, Great Britain, and the United States. Gliders were sailplanes that had a higher ratio of lift to drag than a motorized …

Mr. Wicker: A Horror Novel, David Viergutz

Masters Theses

This thesis analyzes writing in the horror genre that uses characterization and symbolism as literary elements to explore the depiction of good versus evil. The author’s creative writing includes instances of characterization and symbolism and identifies the use of those elements in acclaimed horror novels.

Visions Of Aline: A Foreshadow Of The Past, Allison King

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on the first act of a coming-of-age YA novel. Visions of Aline is about a high school senior, Joey Astor. Having been diagnosed with schizophrenia four years ago, he’s been under a grand delusion that he is the school’s most feared bully. Unhappy that Joey is copying him, the real bully, Kaleb Kane, fights back. For four years, Joey and Kaleb have had a bitter and fierce rivalry. With the end of high school near, the two are determined to prove who rightfully deserves the title of the most feared. When Joey’s schizophrenic episodes start to worsen, …

Constructing Reality: Finding Realism And Finding Jessica, Amy J. Vallotton

Masters Theses

Movies are very influential. They provide enjoyable entertainment and affect the viewer's brain and how it processes the scenes, characters, and plot. Because these processes are often the direct result of the script, the screenwriter needs to understand the effect the camera shots, lighting, pacing, and other techniques have on cognition. The narrative is the script's backbone and a movie's primary source of influence. Movies' effects on the viewer will be discussed through current research and different techniques and narrative examples, as seen in well-known movies and original screenplay. Because movies are so influential, the screenwriter will understand how to …

Thesis Submission Assignment, Monica Cookson

Masters Theses

This paper focuses on the importance of complex character development to form connections with the reader. Readers develop connections to characters who are relatable, so writers need to be aware of what makes a character emotionally important to the reader.

Empires Rise: An Approach To Worldbuilding In Modern Fantasy Fiction, Anthony John Rudd

Masters Theses

Worldbuilding is a critical element to storytelling and involves much more than creating a setting for a narrative – it serves to establish a credible foundation on which authors give life to their creation. There are many great authors who have mastered the art of worldbuilding and their creations can serve as a primer for aspiring authors. This thesis explores critical elements of worldbuilding, provides examples from notable fantasy and science fiction authors such as Tolkien, Jordan, King, and others and explores my approach to incorporating those elements into my own writing.

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 …

“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 …

Discovering Souls Below: Mythology, Lore, And Christian Feminism In Contemporary Fantasy, Emma Dearing

Masters Theses

There are few things I love more than sitting on a warm, sunny beach with my toes in the sand. With a cool breeze rippling off the waves and the smell of salty ocean, it is easy to feel completely at peace. Yet last summer, as I sat limply in a beach chair experiencing all those sensations, I wondered, “What if this was my last day on earth, and I knew it?” More specifically, what if we chose such a serene day as our last? Of course, that reminded me there is only one way to truly choose our last …

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 …

Echoes Of Creation And Salvation By The Triune God In John 9, Jungeun Lee

Masters Theses

This thesis aims to solve the enigmatic narrative of Jesus’ healing of a man blind from birth at Siloam in the Gospel of John 9, with a particular focus on verses 6–7. Within the context of intertextual connections, this story resonates with numerous narrative patterns and echoes found throughout the Bible. These intertextual connections provide important keys for interpreting this passage. By discerning the intertextual connections between this narrative and other parts of the Bible, readers will gain insight into the broader themes of Creation, Salvation, and the Trinity that are interwoven into this story. It means that this passage …

Inside Out Apologetics: Engaging Christian And Postmodern Approaches To Higher Education, Camila Alejandra Roldan Hernandez

Masters Theses

The current decline in performance and effectiveness of higher education makes it necessary to re-evaluate the teaching foundation on the theology of human nature that college professors hold. Since their foundation determines the approach that defines them as teachers, their pedagogy, and their curriculum, it is essential to consider two approaches. One of them is the transcendent approach of the Christian faith that defines human beings as lovers, believers, and thinkers. The other approach is the autonomist postmodern approach which defines human beings as social constructs. Since the college professor’s approach to human nature affects students' learning outcomes, this thesis …

What It Means To Have Meaning: Ai’S Poetic Appropriation Of The Human Imagination, Samuel Louis Spencer

Masters Theses

This thesis is an exploration of human imagination and creativity as it pertains to poetry. With the rise of “intelligent” machines, it is the duty of scholars, thinkers, philosophers, and artists to gauge the ethics of using robots to create art, create information, and create in general. With that in mind, this thesis aims to distinguish the definitions of natural and artificial intelligence. This distinction is at the heart of what makes poetry inherently human. AI poses a threat to poetry and the act of artistic expression. Additionally, AI poses a threat to the human imagination. The aim of the …

Worship In Modern-Day Society: Evaluating Music Of Corporate Worship, Lindley Christine Cameron

Masters Theses

Background Church services today incorporate a wide variety of worship music, stylistically and lyrically, depending on the congregation. Some churches place great importance on the gospel being included in the songs, while others focus more on the emotions felt during the songs. While there are churches that maintain an eclectic mix of the two, other churches have a significant imbalance in the worship songs they choose to sing each week. Matt Boswell says, “Every worship experience, in its order and content, is an expression of the congregation’s liturgy. It communicates something about your church, your doctrine, and the order of …

The Role Social Emotional Learning (Sel) Plays In The Education Of Refugee Els, Peter A. Walblay

Masters Theses

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this project is to explore and collect data to demonstrate areas of need in the modern education system. Specifically, this research focuses on the socioemotional learning scenarios that may be absent in the teaching of refugee ELs. Lastly, this thesis works to provide suggestions about how to use this data to further develop best practices in teaching to better serve all students.

SUBJECTS: The subjects in this thesis are refugee English Language Learners (ELs) in classrooms throughout the Midwest region of the United States; with a specific focus on a public high …

Implementing Social Emotional Activities Into The English Language Arts Curriculum, Allison M. Sherbel

Masters Theses

Over the last decade social emotional learning has revealed itself to be an important element in students' academic growth. Social emotional learning requires students to learn the skills necessary to effectively communicate with others as well as maintaining a positive classroom environment, where all students feel supported, safe and heard. When students become more connected to their own emotions, they are developing an essential skill that will help them inside and outside of the classroom. Research shows that implementation of social emotional lessons can improve both immediate and long-term social-emotional ability as well as academic growth. Despite this research, teachers …

Parent Literacy Workshops: A Way To Provide Parents With Strategies To Support Literacy At Home, Ashley Riggs

Masters Theses

Parents of struggling readers are seeking guidance and resources to help their child with reading instruction at home. To meet the needs of these parents, schools should provide parents with workshops that model evidence-based instruction paired with take-home resources. Workshops should focus on foundational skills such as print concepts, phonemic awareness, as well as decoding, using letter-sound relationships and decodable readers. Parents can be an overlooked avenue to the success of students’ reading abilities. This project will provide the framework needed for educators to establish and deliver a literacy workshop for parents.

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 …

Exploring Fiction Writer’S Approaches To Plot Outlining During The Planning Stage Of The Writing Process, Paul A. Wilson Jr.

Masters Theses

This thesis is about one person’s discovery and growth as a writer of creative fiction that spans decades. It specifically explores and analyzes how professional authors approach plot outlining during the planning stages of the writing process. Some professional authors prepare plot outlines prior to writing their first draft, while others do not. Over the course of the author’s writing life, experimenting with both methods has been instructive to the development of a personal approach to plot outlining. The Artist statement provides background on the author. Next, the Critical Paper examines and analyzes plot outlining and plot structure. Plot structure …

The Borgia Reexamined: A New Look At The Borgia Family And The Influence Of Adoptions Within The Family, Nicholas Ryan Mason

Masters Theses

The Borgia’s were a powerful family that garnered a great deal of their influence through the Catholic Church during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The height of the Borgia was between 1492 and 1503, when Rodrigo Borgia was elected Pope Alexander VI. Throughout history they have been known for the rumors of murder, incest, greed, and corruption that have surrounded the family ever since they first came to power. An examination of the family may not only lead to a different perspective of the family but may also lead to a deeper understanding of how one's enemies may …

The Heroine’S Journey In Hollywood, Melika Zayehmoureh

Masters Theses

This thesis examines Joseph Campbell’s theory of the hero’s journey as it pertains to the heroine, especially in Hollywood. It refutes Campbell’s mythological premise that only men can experience the hero’s journey thereby being labeled as heroes because of the actions they performed to reach maturity. This thesis demonstrates that although women reach maturity through the natural means of biology, as described by Campbell, they can still make change occur because they have a mind and a will to act as well. Stories of women such as Ninveh from the screenplay Journey to Freedom, Katniss from The Hunger Games (2012) …

Auditory Development In Beginner Elementary Strings Classes, Lydia Y. Cooley

Masters Theses

Integrating auditory and visual learning is vital in instrumental music instruction. There is an order of precedence that guides the teaching sequence to raise students who can hear and read the music they play. In order to teach students to think musically while reading notation important auditory preparation needs to take place. It should not occur via passive listening but via active music-making. This practice-based method creates experiential knowledge of music which can then lead to a conceptual understanding of musical symbols. Such practical engagement produces positive long-term effects on the depth of skill and the emotional state of the …

A Word Fitly Spoken Is Like Apples Of Gold In Settings Of Silver: Removing The Veil From Inspirational Historical Fiction, Laura Louise Milcarzyk

Masters Theses

This thesis is about the importance of inspirational historical fiction writers to pen literary works that are more reflective of the diverse Kingdom of God on earth and the trials and tribulations the diverse community of followers of Christ endure in this life. The thesis also defines three literary techniques that will, if applied correctly, help lead a writer in creating novels that bring God, His love, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to life. The artistic statement explains how the novel originated and its process, as well as the novel’s literary and biblical significance. The critical paper is the …

Apologetics And Popular Culture Phenomena: A Critique Of Ted Turnau's Method Concerning Anime, Matthew Hunter Hamilton

Masters Theses

Limited work has been performed in the field of Christian apologetics and popular culture, much less the intersection between anime and Christian apologetics. One scholar who has attempted to broach this gap has been Ted Turnau, who has developed a five-step diagnostic method for apologetically engaging popular culture phenomena. However, his method contains key flaws. Using the work of Thomas Lamarre, a scholar in the field of anime studies, a central contention will be made: that the material and technology of anime have processes that affect how viewers inhabit and orient themselves in the world, which in turn influences their …

How Do International Students In A University In The United States Relate Their Cultural Identity To Fashion Trends, Kharen Alejandra Martinez Murcia

Masters Theses

International students who move to the United States must endure the challenge of adapting to a new culture. Understanding different aspects of how the adaptation process works is essential to create better avenues to connect with these students as they go through the acculturation process. This research focuses on how international students communicate their cultural identity through clothing choices. This study followed a qualitative method through in-depth interviews with ten participants from eight countries. Participants answered questions regarding motivation, cultural adaptation, clothing adaptation, and cultural identity and expression. Findings show that participants consider clothing communicates something about themselves and their …

New Chapter, Gunju Kim

Masters Theses

This thesis addresses the challenges posed by rapid aging in Korean society, particularly in depopulated rural areas, where the aging population ratio is significantly higher compared to urban areas. With the predicted elderly population reaching 40% by 2050, it is crucial to develop effective strategies to cope with this demographic shift.

The increasing closure and abandonment of schools in depopulated rural areas further exacerbate the challenges faced by these communities. While efforts have been made to repurpose closed schools, many of them still remain unused. This thesis proposes the reuse of abandoned schools as community centers to tackle both the …

Thesis Proposal And Manuscript, Peter Muer

Masters Theses

The aim of this thesis paper is to illustrate a key topic in the study of fictional literature within the context of envisioning, researching, planning, and writing a literary paper and fictional literary novel. In this, a thesis will be argued that literary themes are the most important literary element in fiction works (poems, stories, plays, novellas, novels…) and will be a core part of the serious manuscript (fictional novel; The Mulberry Tree) written by this writer (Peter Muer). In addition, a sound view of great writers and great literature will be presented, as well as a look at literary …

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. …

Metal/Emo Music And Their Effect On Millennials In The United States, Kevin Mcpherson

Masters Theses

The goal of this paper is to understand the relationship between two related genres and a generation. Both genres have different interpretations, some catharsis, and others self-destruction. Finding modern and historical evidence of a need for sad music revealed a need for music that empathizes with a person’s current state. These genres did have the potential to engage in self-destruction, however, it was found this was due to external factors far more than the cause itself. When music is involved in destructive behavior it gives the individual permission to do so, rather than be the motivator towards it. As art …