Arts and Humanities Commons^™

So This Is Progress, Edmondson?, Simon William Edmondson

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Female Criminality And Feminism – Is There A Causal Relationship?, Heather Whitcroft

Masters Theses

In the past, many criminologists have viewed the collective sentiments of feminism as potentially crimogenic (Lombroso, 1985; Thomas, 1923; Pollak, 1950). Even female academics writing in the last decade have claimed the women's movement has a "darker side" (Cowie, 1968; Adler, 1975; Simon, 1975; Hart, 1975; Dening, 1977). Substantial sceptics appear to remain unheard amongst those who profess that "liberated" women are committing more masculine, violent, serious, male-dominated and occupational crimes. Such remarks are generally unsubstantiated by research.

Box and Hale (1983:36) suggest that "... those who are attempting to prove a causal connection between emancipation and female crime by …

Trying To Publish An Article On American Painter Thomas Eakins, Elise Hempel

Masters Theses

Freelance writing for magazines is an uncertain business; that is, one cannot specifically school oneself to guarantee even a modicum of success in this career. A writer may, of course, learn the "proper" procedures for preparing and submitting an article by reading any of several reference books written by those who have "made it" in the business. These procedures vary, however, with each author; also, they say little or nothing about the actual business of writing well. Ultimately, then, a writer must test the waters of freelance magazine writing by trying and failing and trying again.

This paper details the …

A Handbook For The Development Of Recorded Interviews For A Course In Oral History, Rickie Dean Everett

Masters Theses

The local community has a natural resource that in all too many places is not being used properly. If this resource is not preserved, it will be lost forever. The natural resource is the experiences and recollections of people, people who have memories of the events that the students of the community have only read about. These people's recollections, with their unique way of conveying them should be saved.

Charleston High School is suggesting just such preservation. A class in oral history is under study for Charleston High School. This paper is part of an attempt to lay a foundation …

Instruction And Entertainment: Chaucer's Nun's Priest's Tale, Marco L. Bergandi

Masters Theses

The "Nun's Priest's Tale" is one of the most entertaining stories in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales--it is captivating, witty, and amusing--but it is also one of the most instructive in the entire collection. In fact, the Nun's Priest himself emphasizes the instructional purpose of his tale by telling his listeners "Taketh the moralite, goode men" (NPT 3440), advising them to look for the points he makes in his narration.

Although the Nun's Priest never explicitly states the "moralite" of his tale, many scholars have taken his advice seriously and searched for its instruction on their own. Approaching it from a …

The Free Negro In Illinois Prior To The Civil War, 1818-1860, Steven J. Savery

Masters Theses

Free Negroes embodied one of the great dilemmas in the ante-bellum history of the state of Illinois. Nominally a free state, Illinois endeavored mightily to suppress, exclude, and dispose of a class of people who were the ultimate result of the anti-slavery movement. While a majority of Illinoisans deemed the peculiar institution undesirable, they had no intention of accepting free Negroes as equal citizens. Free blacks were often regarded as dangerous and a menace to the well-being of the entire society. Yet, Illinois reconciled its apparently contradictory views on slavery and the free Negro to a remarkable degree.

The reconciliation …

Wit And Humor In Asl, Keila Tooley

Masters Theses

In his article "Linguistics and the Study of Poetic Language," Stankewicz (1960) characterizes poetic organization as "completely embedded in language and fully determined by its possibilities." The purpose of this study is to examine the form that poetic function assumes in a language that itself has a structural organization fundamentally different from that of oral languages and in which, accordingly, the possibilities for poetic organization are radically different.

In wit and poetry, elements of form and meaning—a linguistic system--are used to create complex multi-layered expressions with multiple meanings and systems of form and meaning. Similarities--and differences—in form, function and meaning …

The Battle Of The Wills In Samuel Richardson's Clarissa, Ruth M. Cook

Masters Theses

Throughout the 400 pages of the first installment of Samuel Richardson's Clarissa, the heroine vies with at least three important people for the right to govern herself. Her brother, James Harlowe, Jr., is leader of the large extended family unit and is aiming at family aggrandisement by forcing Clarissa to marry a wealthy but odious man, Roger Solmes. Clarissa's mother, Mrs. Harlowe, aims at family peace, hoping to coax Clarissa into the same sort of obedience to patriarchal authority that she has adopted as her lifestyle. Robert Lovelace, a debonair young rake, aims at gaining total control of Clarissa, …

What's On Tv? A Demonstration Of The Utility Of Contextualism And Content Analysis In Mass Media Research, Craig P. Gaumer

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis has been to develop, test and utilize a reliable method to quantify the prevalence of pro- and anti-social behavior on children's television as assessed from a contextualist perspective. Many previous studies in the area of television have arbitrarily assigned either pro- or anti-social labels to television programs without the benefit of analyzing the content of these programs

The few studies that have attempted to analyze the pro- and anti-social content of children's television have used only physical parameters to define pro- or anti-social behavior. Through the development of a reliable method of analyzing the contextually …

The Deterioration Of U.S.-German Relations, 1933-1939, With Special Focus On The Czechoslovakian Crisis, Robert D. Ubriaco

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The American Reaction To Germany's Annexation Of Austria, Mark A. Tarner

Masters Theses

Germany's annexation of Austria in March 1938 was the cumulation of almost twenty years of Austrian dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Saint Germain, the lack of consistent political and economic support by the western democracies and the international instability of the 1930s. All these factors worked in favor of pro-Anschluss Germans and Austrians and to the handicap of the allies. Once Adolf Hitler came to power, he drastically changed German policy toward Austria. Anschluss had special significance for Hitler and his decision to abandon an evolutionary revision of Austria's political status to one of radical expansionism and annexation proved fatal …

The Republican Party And Civil Rights, 1877-1976, Gordon E. Sparks

Masters Theses

There have been many works written on both the Republican and the Democratic parties. Many works have also described the problem of civil rights and the historical difficulties blacks have had in an attempt to fit in politically. These works, however, have left out one major aspect of this process. Relationships of blacks to the political parties themsevles must be studied to understand one aspect of their continuous struggle for civil rights in America.

It is time that an overview be done on how the political parties have dealt with the civil rights problem throughout their histories. The Republican party …

The Development Of A Program For Minority Dropout Prevention In The Decatur, Illinois Public School District #61, Priscilla Marjorie Palmer

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field study was to identify the need and present a workable model designed to address minority dropout prevention for the Decatur, Illinois, Public School District #61. The overall district dropout rate at the time this field study commenced was 26.6 percent. However, the dropout rate for minority (Black) males was 43.1 percent and 24.9 percent for minority (Black) females. The data shows that a problem of minority dropouts did exist in Decatur School District #61 and that a preventive program was needed to address this problem.The Program to Improve Student Attendance (PISA), was designed for use …

An Application Of Mikhail Bakhtin’S Theory Of The Grotesque To The Fiction Of Flannery O’Connor, Holly Roberts

Masters Theses

The grotesque in Flannery O'Connor's fiction has always been a central concern of her readers and critics, because it is such a prominent aspect of her work and is usually connected with the equally pervasive characteristics of violence, destruction, and death. Many of her critics see the grotesquerie of her characters and landscapes as indicative of humanity's fallen existence--that it serves only to reveal what is wrong with the human condition. Such views echo the premises of Wolfgang Kayser's theory of the grotesque presented in his well-known book, The Grotesque in Art and Literature, but as I point out, …

Dream In The Fiction Of Nathanael West, James M. Caldwell

Masters Theses

Since the publication of his first novel in 1931, Nathanael West has presented significant problems for critics in their attempts to arrive at conclusions about his work and to classify him among twentieth century novelists. Various critical approaches have helped to clarify some of the ambiguities in West's four novels, but the bibliographic, source, and psychological studies have often often neglected specifics of the texts in favor of finding West a niche in relation to his twentieth century contemporaries.

Most criticism of West's fiction discusses dreams to some extent. His fictions are considered dreamworlds, and each novel's ordering dream is …

A Directory Of Loose Ends, Angelique Cain Jennings

Masters Theses

A Directory of Loose Ends is comprised of a collection of thirty original poems, and a prose afterword. The collection of poems is divided into three groups according to subject, tone, and technique. The afterword details influences, biographical elements, and inspiration.

The first group consists mostly of poems in which mythical characters such as Grendel, Penelope, and Ulysses, speak. Unidentified speakers also offer myths of other kinds, such as "Salvador Dali in a Wheelchair on TV," in which an imaginative speaker addresses the painter, describing for him a dream she claims he has had, and "Confirmations," in which the speaker …

Surveying Computer Graphic Trends, Angela Bradley

Masters Theses

Computer graphics is a new tool for the visual artist. Historic and educational theories and facts outline the rapid growth of the medium and how it has become an essential tool for educators, researchers and businesses. Business applications remain at the periphery of computer graphic applications, but are included in the general trend of the new medium's development.

Visual art generated through computer graphic imaging is exemplified in the work of artists: Barbara Nessim, computer graphic student, Jim Squires, and the team of computer graphic artists, Richard Chuang and Glenn Entis. Nessim is a career graphic designer and artist, who …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Leadership Responsibility And The Career Aspirations And Salience Of College Women, Deborah R. Stevenson

Masters Theses

Expanded career opportunities for women have emerged following the women's movement and equal opportunity legislation. Today, statistics show more women, single, married and female heads of the household, are in the work force than ever before. Yet, women are not entering those jobs in which greater earning and advancement potential exist and professional women have not advanced significantly.

The literature discussing issues related to women and work indicates that leadership responsibility may play a role in raising both the career aspirations and salience of women. If this is so then providing appropriate leadership experience emerges as a potential tool for …

"Failed Love" In The Drama Of Edward Albee, Steven Leonard Long

Masters Theses

The plays of Edward Albee are frequently examinations of characters who are unable to love or to be loved. A central and recurring conflict which runs through many of Albee's plays is the conflict which stems from the lack of success which the characters often experience as they strive to find love. The uncertainty and ambiguity which surround the abstraction called "love" leave the characters with feelings of unhappiness, frustration, fear, self-hatred, and despondency. Though the individuals in Albee's plays are aware that love is the ingredient which is missing from their lives, none knows how to go about alleviating …

Mark Twain's Confidence Men, Sharon K. Scruton

Masters Theses

In Mark Twain's literature the confidence man has special talents, but he is also subject to human failings. Through the characters of Huck Finn and Hank Morgan (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court) Twain exposes the traps into which a con artist, as a creative talent, can fall. Twain knows these traps, both from experience and from fears of what the future holds. Hank Morgan becomes an extension of Huckleberry Finn. He is a figure who, as he progresses, leaves the best talent of a con artist behind--the talent of instinct. The natural abilities of insight and …

The Diplomacy Of William Jennings Bryan, Patricia Sue Chism

Masters Theses

William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) was Secretary of State for the first two years of the administration of Woodrow Wilson, from 1913 to 1915. During that time he sought to implement his views of diplomacy which were based upon his political and religious beliefs. His emergence on the national political scene in 1896 had been based upon his commitment to the welfare of common man which was inherent in his espousal of Populist principles. As Secretary of State he promoted policies, especially in Latin America, designed to advance the democratic form of government, which he believed best served the interests of …

"Four Dreams": A Chamber Symphony, Richard Pauley

Masters Theses

"Four Dreams" is a four-movement work for chamber orchestra. It was composed between January and May, 1985, in Charleston, Illinois. Elements from different style periods are used in the composition. Modal harmony, whose origins date back to the Middle Ages, is prevalent. Imitative devices associated with Renaissance and Baroque music are also employed, as well as such Twentieth Century techniques as dodecaphony and polychord writing. It is the first symphonic work by the composer. It is suitable for performance on the college or professional level. Its duration is approximately 18 minutes.

The Law And Mark Twain, Jeff Andrew Weigel

Masters Theses

Varying concepts of law are an essential part in many of Mark Twain's works. Twain's position as an observer and critic of society is often reflected by the way he represents law and justice in his stories. His dislike of injustice and cruelty caused him to focus on these "legal" problems as a way of revealing and attacking various injustices in society. My thesis examines Twain's perception of law as he exposes it in Roughing It, Pudd'nhead Wilson, The Prince and the Pauper, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The general objective of my …

Handmaidens Of God: The Female Figures Judith, Juliana, And Elene In Old English Heroic Poetry, Anita Obermeier Hodge

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Desperate Laughter, Sara Farris

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The United States And West German Rearmament 1950-1955, Hans R. Velten

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Wordsworth's The Prelude: Critical Tradition And Beyond, Manuela Mourao

Masters Theses

The argument presented in this thesis explores the traditional readings of The Prelude as an autobiography, as an epic, and as a poetics, and proposes that they be considered the starting point to a whole new reading of the poem in the light of Gerard Genette's theory of textuality.

To provide the basis for the proposed new reading I discuss (in Part I, II, and III) the traditional readings of the poem and provide textual evidence of their legitimacy.

I then introduce Roland Barthes' notion of "poietics" and demonstrate how The Prelude fits it, since it is a text that …

E. Taylor's Use Of Canticles, Clella J. Camp

Masters Theses

In Sermon IV of the Christographia Edward Taylor makes the following statement.

Man, the last in the creation, is the glory of all elementary nature. The image of God in man, the last draught of God upon him, is the glory of Man. Come to artifical instinces, and here it holds; All things of less considerations are first touched on, but that which is last entered on is of the greatest concern…And so it is in the things of God!

Because those things that are constantly fixed in “the last place” are the most complete and the most valued of …

Nature Vs Society In The Works Of Stephen Crane, Rodney R. Parker

Masters Theses

The five works of Stephen Crane I chose to discuss in this thesis are: "The Open Boat," "A Mystery of Heroism," "The Blue Hotel," Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, and The Red Badge of Courage. All of these works are representative of the fictional vision of Stephen Crane. A persistent theme that Crane uses in virtually all of his stories is the relationship between the human and the natural worlds. The world of nature is one of indifference. It shows no interest in the activies of mankind, and is, in fact, incapable of doing so. But Crane's …

The Effects Of Language Processing Strategies Upon Reading Comprehension, Kathy Ann Kirby

Masters Theses

In 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed providing educational services for children with exceptionalities. Learning disabilities was one of those exceptionalities whose definition used a language disorder as its major criteria for the identification and classification of a specific learning disabilities. The inclusion of language disorders within its definition brought about greater interest in language and the understanding of language development, acquisition and processing and how these aspects related with academic learning, particularly with reading.

The purpose of this study was to address the issue of language processing strategies in the remediating of language deficits and …