Arts and Humanities Commons^™

You Tell The Tale: Interactive Retellings Of The Myth Of Orpheus, Christopher Mclean-Wheeler

Honors Theses

The thesis retells the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in an interactive narrative style. The interactive medium encourages readers to take an active role in storytelling by deciding what the protagonist does at key moments in the plot; each decision branches out into alternate story paths, allowing the adaptation to draw from multiple versions of the myth, particularly Ovid's The Metamormopheses and Virgil's The Georgics. The content chosen for inspiration is based on how it can offer new interpretations of and insight into this retelling of the familiar story.

Hispanic Hallyu: Comparing Boys Over Flowers Directed By Jeon Ki-Sang With Latino Telenovelas, Austin S. Huh

Honors Theses

The term hallyu, meaning Korean wave, was originally coined in the 1990s to describe the proliferation of South Korean popular culture throughout the world. This project focuses specifically on Hispanic populations within North and South America where--despite lack of geographical or cultural proximity to South Korea--Korean movies, dramas, and music have obtained widespread popularity. With respect to K-dramas, this project juxtaposes thematic elements between the K-drama Boys over Flowers directed by Jeon Ki-Sang and Latino telenovelas to determine if K-drama popularity can be ascribed to similarities in motifs between K-dramas and telenovelas.

Look At That Little Macho: Surveillance And Hegemonic Masculinity In Junot DíAz's The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao, Ludanne Francis

Honors Theses

No abstract available.

Young Adult Fiction: Inside The Mirror Image, Paige Christin Flannelly

Honors Theses

Identity and image-of-self are concepts intertwined throughout the pages of Young Adult Fiction Literature. Characters in Young Adult Fiction interact with their surroundings and as a result form an identity based on these interactions. Research has shown how young adults respond to the feedback of their surroundings whether embodied by other characters or their environment. The way in which identity and the image characters see in the mirror are formed is directly related to the interactions characters experience in their daily lives. Interactions with landscapes, peers, illness, grief, and parents are the specific interactions discussed in this thesis. The novels …

Ambiguous Pleasure(Ers): Negotiating The Bodies Of Falstaff And Moll, Lauren Van Atta

Honors Theses

The British Early Modern Period was a time of shifting social ideologies where class as well as gender were mapped onto bodies and embedded in the very material conditions of life. But class and gender were not discreet categories with dichotomous definitions like ‘male’ and ‘female’, or ‘nobility’ and ‘peasant’. They had many inbetweens, and the theater was perhaps the most glaring inbetween of all. The theater necessarily complicates definitions and ways of viewing bodies as no body is what they seem. And at the heart of these ambiguous identities lay the fat body. It is consumptive, it is transgressive, …

Aiscrima E Checchi Italian-American Dialect And Development In The New Millennium, Elizabeth Loyacano Pedrotti

Honors Theses

The Italian-American identity is inextricably linked with language. Italian immigrants and their descendants have formed a culture in the United states with a dynamic history, particularly when it comes to language use and perceptions. This study examined multigenerational Italian Americans’ perceptions of English, Italian, and the unique Italian-American dialect; it aimed to discover changes in the usage of Italian-American dialect over time. Italian Americans in the Dayton area were interviewed and presented with surveys to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Results indicate that while overall usage and recognition of Italian-American lexical items has decreased dramatically since the 1980s, younger …

Whose Voice The Waters Heard: A Short Story Cycle, Grace E. Hagan

Honors Theses

Abstract In this collection of short stories, each short story is a unique exploration of the powerful and often enigmatic concept of loss. The common unity for the collection presents itself in two parts: place and theme. Characters of all ages, from all walks of life, go to the river to have their voices heard and to grieve a particular form of loss. The collection takes a dynamic and expansive view on loss, and each short story reflects a different idea or experience of loss. It seeks to examine not only what can be lost, but also what can and …

Challenging The Postwar Narrative: The Art And Agenda Of Boris Lurie, Kiersten Signe Remster

Honors Theses

Art history is shaped, studied, and taught based on narratives, artistic movements, and the biographies of celebrated artists. While contributing to an understanding of prevalent traditions and artists working in those traditions, these narratives are also constructions of inclusion and exclusion that establish art historical placement for certain artists while relegating others to historical obscurity. It is clear what happens to the critical fortunes of artists who are placed within these narratives. Yet what happens to the artists who do not fit within any of the categories established by these constructions? Are they then to be understood as simply minor …

Haunted Houses: A Directorial Exploration Of Expressionism, Jose Martinez-Chavarria

Honors Theses

The purpose of “Haunted Houses: A Directorial Exploration of Expressions” is to demonstrate the effectiveness of my directorial skills in staging a drama on stage with both an objective and subjective reality. The play Haunted Houses by Kathryn Schultz-Miller served as the chosen work whose staging would implement the common expressionist staging strategies of abstraction, simple and flexible blocking, nonrealistic lighting and a strong emphasis on visuals and stage images. The following thesis provides a detail directorial book containing the blocking, scenery, props and creative concepts used in this original production that allows it to be recreated if desired. A …

Devising From A Distance: A Study Of The Difference In Process, Composition, And Audience Response Between In-Person And Digitally-Mediated Choreographic Collaborations, Kathryn Butler

Honors Theses

This paper argues that dance devising shares a value system with that of the digital age, justifying the use of a virtual choreographic site to facilitate geographically distributed collaborations. The presence of technology in our social lives, working environments, and creative practices is steadily increasing. Before we passively let technology digitize and make virtual the choreographic process, or before we expedite this seemingly inevitable trajectory, we need to know what the consequences and opportunities might be. Through use of a controlled empirical investigation, this study analyzed the process experience, composition, and post-performance audience response between in-person and remote choreographic collaborations. …

I Remember It Like This: Essays, Robin C. Lewis

Honors Theses

This thesis is composed of eleven personal essays. As an Environmental Policy senior, I wanted to write down some of my formative stories—not just any stories, but those that may reveal the environmental thread in my life, which, I believe, was somehow instilled in me by my parents. This thread has followed me from Texas to Maine, from childhood to almost twenty-three. It has been supported and tested by various characters along the way, sometimes growing faint, other times stronger. As I prepare for something new, I’ve found it valuable to look back on the people and landscapes and stories …

The Process Of Reclaiming Tribal Sovereignty Through Healthcare Autonomy, Karolina A. Serhan

Honors Theses

This honors thesis explores the complex interplay between health status, healthcare, and tribal sovereignty among native communities in the United States. These relationships are explored through analyzing the paradoxical and condescending nature of the Federal Trust Responsibility in relation to government-organized healthcare programs for natives. In establishing this relationship, the thesis goes on to illustrate how native communities have effectively fought to regain sovereignty through reclaiming autonomy of their healthcare systems through the use of the 1975 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. The impact of tribal-led healthcare systems is further explored through an in-depth case study conducted regarding the …

“La Política Del Avestruz”: The Regulation Of The Black Market For Medical Abortion In Chile, Sophia M. Bartels

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to answer the overarching question of how the black market for medical abortion is regulated in Chile. In answering this question, this thesis responds to the two sub questions: why is the Chilean government ineffective at regulating the black market for medical abortion in Chile, and how have non-governmental actors filled this vacuum through informal regulation? Although the Chilean government has one of the highest levels of state capacity in Latin America, it has surprisingly allowed this black market to exist in almost complete impunity. In this thesis, I argue that although the Chilean government has the …

Franco, Pedro Y El Género, Kaleigh E. Hoffman

Honors Theses

El franquismo no dejaba de existir después de la muerte de Franco. Mientras las reglas de censura oficiales desaparecieron con el fin de la dictadura, sus rasgos permanecían, en términos de la vida social, además del cine. La influencia de Franco en el cine determinaba que los conceptos de la masculinidad y la feminidad no tenían espacio para interpretación. De hecho, durante la dictadura, el cine franquista reflejaba la rigidez de género y la falta de expresión. No había aprobación de cine que demostrara la homosexualidad, las personas transgénero ni la fluidez de género. De la represión, sin embargo, emergió …

Sans Fin: Language Of Loss, Lane Jennings Proctor

Honors Theses

This is a hybrid collection of creative pieces that I have written in order to try to capture the feelings associated with loss and oppression. These pieces are only loosely related thematically and are not one single narrative. I especially wanted to focus on female characters who become disillusioned with their lives, find they have no real agency, or that they cannot truly write their own narratives. Through research on the Middle East, mostly focusing on Syria, and a close friendship with a Syrian refugee while I was studying abroad in Paris, I found the inspiration and ideas for many …

Succès De Scandale: The Role Of Satire In French Society, Connor Holeman

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to describe French satire, how it has illustrated changes and issues in society, and also how it has influenced political identity in France. Beginning with the principles of the Enlightenment, this thesis seeks to understand the important role that criticism has played in regards to established institutions. Satire has always pushed the limits of the taboo, serving as an indicator for what is acceptable and what is not. In the nineteenth century, decades of governmental change following the 1789 French Revolution gave satire a voice through its honesty and blatant judgment. During this time, …

L’Expression Visuelle Durant La Seconde Guerre Mondiale : La Résistance, La Collaboration, Et Le « Juste Milieu », Jackie Sirc

Honors Theses

La Seconde Guerre mondiale a lancé un défi immense à l’humanité et au monde entier. Le niveau de violence était sans précédent et les conditions de vie ont changé complètement à travers l’immensité du combat. Une des choses qui a beaucoup changé était la production de l’art pendant cette période. Tandis que la violence du combat a eu une influence sur les thèmes et les sujets artistiques, le style du gouvernement en France devenait plus strict et règlementé. Par conséquent, la production de l’art, l’état de l’artiste, et la disponibilité de l’art pour le public se transformaient. Il y avait …

Nella Larsen: An Untold Story Of Race Through Literature, Bria Stephens Stephens

Honors Theses

This study explores the life of Nella Larsen, investigating how her unusual childhood and early adulthood provided substance for her to make critical and unique views on race relations and racially dichotomized communities. The study shows how the Harlem Renaissance was essential in providing this outlet to Larsen; it was an era where African American art was lauded. The investigation required research into Larsen's childhood and early adult life using several different pieces of biographical works. After detailing impactful events in her early life, the study developed further with critical analyzation of her fictional short stories and novels. Additional research …

Market Competition And Individual Security In The Chilean Pension System, William Mahoney

Honors Theses

In 1981, Chile was the first country in the world to implement a privatized elderly social security system: the Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones (AFP). The system's creators argued that the forces of market competition would improve pension amounts and that the AFP would promote nation-wide equality in the pension system—the former pension system was not one system, but a collection of pension systems that were highly stratified by class. In 2017, pension payouts have not met expectations, and the AFP is one of the most salient and contentious issues in Chilean politics. The overarching objective of this thesis is …

The Metaphysics Of Transubstantiation: The Problem Of Individuation In The Seventeenth Century, Conrad J. Collins

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to look at the recurring question of the relationship between theology and philosophy by investigating the 17th century debate on the Eucharist as it revolved around Descartes and Leibniz. The Jesuit explanation of transubstantiation involves the philosophical problem of individuation, which asks what makes an individual substance what it is. Therefore, the study focuses specifically on the problem of individuation as it is treated by the philosophers Descartes and Leibniz as they try to answer the previous question. Descartes's mechanical philosophy runs against the notion of what constitutes a body, while Leibniz's monadology finds …

How To Be A Girl: The Discourse Of Compulsory Heterosexuality, Desire, And Adolescent Female Sexuality In Seventeen And Cosmopolitan Magazines From The Late 20th Century, Danielle Keiser

Honors Theses

This work explores the discourse of adolescent sexuality and desire presented to readers by Seventeen and Cosmopolitan magazines published between 1970 and 1989. The essay draws distinctions between articles and advertisements, pointing to those articles and ads that promote what Adrienne Rich called compulsory heterosexuality and those that encourage a less restrictive kind of femininity. The essay claims that Seventeen, because it targets a younger audience than Cosmopolitan does, promotes a more sexually normative framework of heterosexual relationships, compulsory matrimony, and motherhood for young readers. Cosmopolitan, on the other hand, teaches readers to embrace female sexuality and desire without needing …

Mississippi Choctaw Women: Preservation And Adaptation From Post-Removal To The 1970s, Elisabeth H. Pepper

Honors Theses

This project analyzes the processes of adaptation and preservation utilized by Choctaw women in Mississippi from the post-Removal period to the end of the 1970s. It focuses specifically on the areas of women's lives concerning work, the domestic sphere, leadership roles, and recreational activities. To inform my research, I used a variety of primary and secondary sources concerning the Mississippi Choctaws, even covering the period before Removal. I studied archival documents, microfilm, newspapers, magazines and pamphlets, as well as secondary resource books concerning this topic. From my research, I concluded that women actively engaged in strategies to preserve their Choctaw …

We The People: An Analysis Of The Supreme Court's Jurisprudence Relating To Constitutional Personhood, Emma Jennings

Honors Theses

This thesis studies the Supreme Court's jurisprudence on the issue of constitutional personhood and its historical lack of clarity and uniformity. I focus on three groups of persons who historically and frequently bring claims of constitutional protection before the Court: aliens, children, and felons. Across these three classes of claimants, case analysis shows that the Court lacks a clear framework for answering questions of constitutional personhood, instead relying on an individualistic approach in their decision-making, rendering a defined understanding of constitutional personhood impossible. I argue that the Court's current methods of decision- making produce inequality and second-class citizenship, and further, …

Please Accept My Love: Race, Culture, And B.B. King's Live In Cook County Jail, Eugene Brinson Polk Iii

Honors Theses

This thesis uses a specific event, B.B. King's performance in 1970 and subsequent album from Chicago's Cook County Jail, to study the intersections of race, music, and American culture. First, I trace the events leading up to the performance and album and contextualize both within King's career and the history of race relations in the South and in Chicago. Second, I detail the history of Cook County Jail and King's subsequent prison activism. All in all, this thesis argues that the sense of racial bondage shared between the blues, King, and the inmates at Cook County Jail, is the primary …

Evaluating The Success Of Russian Hybrid Warfare In Ukraine, Gage Adam

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates Russia's use of hybrid warfare in Ukraine, and whether the endeavor was successful. In order for Russian hybrid warfare to have been successful, the costs and repercussions of their actions must not outweigh their achieved goals. For this thesis, it was assumed that Russia's goals are: locking NATO and the EU out of Russia's remaining sphere of influence, demonstrating Russian solidarity, gaining territory, and boosting popularity for the current administration. Russia was able to achieve all of these goals with the annexation of Crimea and use of military force in the Donbass region. The costs of these …

L’Intégration De L’Immigré Africain Francophone Aux Etats-Unis Et En France : Opportunités Et Défis, Lily Calaycay

Honors Theses

Durant ces dernières années, l’immigration a considérablement augmenté dans plusieurs parties du monde, et par conséquent, l’intégration des immigrants dans la société est devenue un sujet largement discuté. Un immigré, selon la définition du Haut Conseil à l’intégration en 1991, est une personne résidant dans un pays qui est née dans un pays étranger (« Population immigrée » 96). Les mouvements migratoires africains ont une longue histoire, marquée par l’exploitation et la colonisation européenne du continent. L’histoire de l’immigration africaine est unique parmi les mouvements migratoires à cause des conditions qui ont accompagné un système brutal d’exploitation. La présence des …

Violence And Edification In 19th Century Fiction: An Analysis Of The Novels Of Charles Dickens And Leo Tolstoy, Caroline Fassett

Honors Theses

This Thesis argues that violence is essential to the structures and plots of Charles Dickens’s Barnaby Rudge and A Tale of Two Cities and of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace and Anna Karenina, and is particularly essential to the edification, or the moral and intellectual improvement, of principal characters in these four novels. Additionally, this Thesis contends that this edification is both anticipated and reinforced by the novelists’ incorporation of counterparts whose demeanor and/or narrative overtly mirror that of the principal characters.

To support this argument, I bring the theory of Thomas Carlyle into conversation with the novels of Dickens …

Nature And Human Flourishing In The Laws Of Manu And The Daodejing, Qijing Zheng

Honors Theses

By comparing the interpretation of dharma in the ancient Indian Laws of Manu (Manusmṛti) with the concepts of dao in the Chinese classic, Daodejing, this thesis discusses that, despite the plausible perception that the former represents despotic, hierarchical governance while the latter promotes freedom (and even anarchy), the two texts in fact share a similar envision of human flourishing through the following of one's nature, as well as a foundational belief that both laws and political ideals emerge from nature.

When Worlds Collide: Feminism, Conservatism And Twentieth Century Authors, Madison Cooney

Honors Theses

Two streams of literary narratives appearing during the Great Depression grew from personal and historical experiences of their women authors with overlapping but very different perspectives on American cultural history. These were: 1) The accounts of rural frontier Midwestern regional experiences of Laura Ingalls Wilder, as edited and shaped in part by her daughter and writing partner Rose Wilder Lane, in retrospect during the New Deal era; and 2) the 1920s urban African-American experience of Zora Neale Hurston in the context of an emerging national black artistic and intellectual scene. Through a shared feminism emphasizing freedom for women, these authors …

As Good As Niu: Food Sovereignty In Samoa, Emily Gove

Honors Theses

Samoa’s history as an island nation, with its cultural heritage of migratory peoples, followed by settler colonialism and missionaries, has resulted in its uniquely amalgamated food system. Cuisine varies from traditional crops and recipes to imported canned goods, although dependence on the latter has led to wide-ranging health problems. A way to confront these problems is through reclaiming local cuisine, renewing its popularity and promoting the concept of food sovereignty. Through fieldwork based on surveys, interviews, and participant observation in Apia, complemented with a study of activist Robert Oliver’s new cookbooks on Pacific cuisine, this project examines current themes …