Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Foray Into Love: Feminism In The Romance Novel, Kiersten Holland

Honors College Theses

In this paper, I am examining the relationship between the waves of feminism and the evolution of the romance novel, by focusing on themes of sexual identity, financial independence, societal roles, and free thought within the text. The romance genre is overlooked and underestimated, despite it being one of the largest and best-selling genres in publishing, because of its inherent relationship with women. By analyzing it, I hope to educate people about the genre, as well as highlight the key parts of its importance to women’s rights and the feminist movement. By doing a close reading of novels ranging from …

Glittered Realities, Dramatic Bodies: Abject, Camp, And Empathy, Grace Otten

Theses - ALL

Glittered Realities, Dramatic Bodies: Abject, Camp, and Empathy explores the roles of disgust, social performance, and compassion within my art practice. This essay examines empathetic aesthetics as a tool for strengthening the relationship between the artist and the viewer, while also delving into the repulsiveness of abject art and the performative elements of Camp. Through thematic sections focusing on sculpture and video performance art, Glittered Realities, Dramatic Bodies: Abject, Camp, and Empathy illustrates how bodily experience and identity exploration contends that understanding human vulnerability and the interplay between abjection, theatricality, and empathy enriches both an art practice and worldview.

Nomadic Culture And The Pre-Islamic Era Of Turkic Civilizations: A Study Of Shamanism, Lifestyle, And A Modern Societal Reinterpretation, Atagun Ilhan

Theses - ALL

This thesis serves as an exploration of my cultural heritage during the pre-Islamic era of the Turks. I find this topic particularly significant because the pre-Islamic era often receives little attention in Turkey's cultural discourse, and there are even efforts to erase this era, largely influenced by the indoctrination policies of Islamic-driven Turkish governments. My aim is to delve into the cultural, religious, and diverse modes of living of the pre-Islamic nomadic Turkic people who inhabited Eastern Asia. The investigation begins by elucidating Nomadism within its geographical context. Furthermore, it delves into cultural and religious aspects such as shamanism, temples, …

Selling Water To A Fish: Study Of The Visual Narrative In Tourism Advertising, Ziwei Aletta Ren

Theses - ALL

In the new era dominated by visual culture, the realm of tourism increasingly relies on artistic tales to brand and market destinations. The power of storytelling, intertwined with art, can invite viewers to create psychological and emotional connections with corners of the world yet unexplored. This thesis explores the profound role of visual narratives in tourism advertising, revealing how they forge emotional and psychological connections between viewers and unexplored places. From the historical roots of advertising in ancient civilizations to the modern digital age, visual narratives have evolved to meet the changing desires of travelers, emphasizing authenticity and immersive experiences. …

Visualizing The First Visit To The Red Cliff Structural Analysis, Jinning Wang

Theses - ALL

This article explores how individuals can achieve spiritual freedom in the face of adversity and the twists of fate, drawing inspiration from the famous ancient Chinese poet Su Shi's First Visit to the Red Cliff. The thesis will work in two directions: first, from a philosophical and Buddhist perspective, it analyzes Su Shi's path to self-redemption during the creation of First Visit to the Red Cliff. Second, it combines my own experiences and dialogue with Su Shi in my artworks. The thesis takes both Su Shi's and my perspectives, using Su Shi's challenges in his life as a starting point …

Indigenous Artistic Activism And The (Re)Envisioned Landscape: Decolonizing Settler Land Knowledge, Hannah Lorell Sparks

Theses - ALL

In this thesis I investigate mimetic Indigenous artwork as a productive site of settler colonial disruption. More specifically, I attend to the potential of these artworks to disorient romantic habits of viewing landscapes. Framed as a critique of settler logics, I argue that the underlying ideologies of Euro-American romantic landscape art have tracked from the 19th-century to today to produce an illusory, aestheticized view of nature as grand and empty, distancing settlers from the material realities of land use and the violence of settler colonialism. In a contributory attempt to decolonize settler understandings of and relations to land, I look …

Frightened Birds: An Exploration Of Insecurity And Its Artistic Expression, Chenyu Wang

Theses - ALL

This thesis aims to examine the root causes of human insecurity and to explore how to live with insecurity, both theoretically and visually. The nature of insecurity is further explored by analyzing it in a philosophical sense and making an analogy with Albert Camus’ understanding of “absurdity.” As a universal feeling, insecurity has enormous potential to be explored as an artistic topic. Creating and thinking from this feeling can trigger the audience’s emotional resonance and inspire more thinking in response. Insecurity is about meaning, about human longing and expectation, about the absurdity that one cannot escape. By analyzing insecurity, one …

Love Or Control? Analyzing Emotional Expression Within East Asian Family Through Artworks, Wenyi Qian

Theses - ALL

The author's own spirited and unconventional childhood defied societal norms, challenging conventional expectations for a young girl. In the name of love, their parents endeavored to guide them towards a more reserved and compliant path. Drawing from these personal experiences, this research aims to unravel the intricate fabric of emotional expression within East Asian families and its profound impact on familial relationships and individual psychological well-being through the lens of artistic works. These themes of love and control frequently surface in the creations of East Asian artists, providing a unique perspective to deepen our understanding of the complex emotional dynamics …

Positionings, Carolyn Grace Crowley

Theses - ALL

This thesis relates to my experiences as a queer woman, who was raised Catholic, grappling with my place in contemporary womanhood and how this confluence informed my work as a visual artist. Applying the visual styles and aesthetics of depictions of saints, expressionist and baroque painting to create a modern reflection on my femininity through painting and performance. This paper first explores my background, the meaning of my paintings, then how their meaning informed my technical and formal choices. Finally, it ends with a reflection on what I learned about myself and culture as a whole, asking the questions “Will …

Bridging The Gap: Neglect And Misunderstanding In Mother-Daughter Relationships, Yuhui Zheng

Theses - ALL

This thesis examines the conflicts between mothers and daughters within the Chinese cultural background. First, it states the domestic and social factors that impact the dynamic of maternal relationships with daughters in China. Then, by analyzing artworks like Everything Everywhere All at Once and Turning Red, it sheds light on how mother-daughter conflicts are represented in the plot and how filmmakers conceive such films to showcase mother-daughter relationships artistically. Finally, the thesis concludes by combining the above research with my own experiences, culminating in a visual thesis about a mother-daughter pair’s journey from conflict to reconciliation. The dissertation provides an …

Analysis Of Dilemmas And Self-Expression In The Highly Sensitive Person, Zixiao Song

Theses - ALL

This thesis primarily analyzes the definition of the highly sensitive person (HSP), the psychological issues this personality trait may cause, and coping mechanisms. It explores the experiences and challenges of HSPs, as described by psychologists and authors with extensive research in this field, such as Dr. Aron, to explore the inner world and coping mechanisms of highly sensitive individuals. Subsequently, through analyzing classic films and picture books such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and All Too Much for Oliver, I observed how certain characters display the behavioral traits and psychological activities of HSPs from an artistic perspective. Finally, …

Muertos Made In México: Necrocapitalismo En La Cultura Mexicana, Luis A. Gamboa

Spanish and Portuguese ETDs

Muertos Made in México: Necrocapitalismo en la cultura mexicana examina textos de la literatura mexicana desde 1810 hasta la actualidad, junto con estudios cinematográficos, para explorar los contextos históricos y culturales que han contribuido al surgimiento de la violencia en México como fenómeno social. Asimismo, siguiendo la teoría de la necropolítica (2019) de Joseph-Achille Mbembe (1967), se analizan el realismo-gore y la doctrina neoliberal en México (1980-presente) que impulsan la deshumanización y cosificación de colectivos marginados y la trata de personas en el mercado global. Muertos Made in México propone que en una sociedad caracterizada por la muerte y la …

Under The Lychee Tree: A Journey To Resurrect, Reanimate, And Reflect One’S History, Jasmine Veronica Whitmore

Theses - ALL

In this paper, Under The Lychee Tree: A Journey to Resurrect, Reflect, and Reanimate One’s History, I discuss the history of my relationship with my mother in regard to my artistic practice. This paper is divided into chapters that discuss my influences and the work I’ve made about myself and my mother in relation to the themes of resurrection, reanimation, reflection, care, and memory. I use photography, video, installation, and our family archive to articulate these ideas.

6847 Miles, Ze Tian

Theses - ALL

In this paper, 6847 Miles, I discuss how my time in graduate school and developing my artistic practice has led me to my thesis project. The paper is divided into chapters that discuss how I gradually made my work about myself and my family in relation to themes of self-discovery, self-reconstruction, and acceptance of the fragility and contradiction of familial love. I use photography and video to articulate these themes and my vulnerability.

Master Of None: Living, Thinking And Co-Creating With Unruly Frigid Bodies, Greeshma Chenni Veettil

Theses - ALL

This thesis explores the primary modes of my artistic practice, which involve paying attention to bodily sensations, posing questions about the ordinary, and engaging in purposeful drifts of inquiry. Through a loose assemblage of practices centered around ice, static photographs, and my own brown body, I delve into the vitality and transgressions inherent in these seemingly inert beings. My work draws upon feminist scholarship on embodiment and employs affective engagement as a methodology for unlearning. Disparate accounts are considered through a polyamorous engagement with diverse disciplines. In doing so, I underscore the importance of unbound curiosity over linearly connected deductions …

The Sea Of Sorrow Has No Shore: A Note On Grief And The Radical Practice Of Grief, Fatemeh Kazemi

Theses - ALL

This paper explores grief through both a personal and cultural prism, specifically focusing on the Iranian context. Intertwining together personal narratives with scholarly discourse, it aims to illuminate the nuanced relationship between individual experiences of sorrow and the broader fabric of collective memory. Notably, it is examining how artistic practice and the visual culture of grief intersect, tracing my own journey through studio work that melds traditional and contemporary representations of mourning. This investigation is bolstered by insights drawn from psychology, sociology, and cultural studies, offering a comprehensive, multidisciplinary understanding of mourning practices in addition to their profound impact on …

“We Are Men”: Constituting The Prisoners’ Rights Movement Through Prison Writing, Emily Kathryn Iknayan

Theses - ALL

In this thesis, I investigate how the discourse of incarcerated writers responds to the Attica Prison Uprising across time and geography in prison newspapers and poetry. I first argue that the rhetorical responses of incarcerated writers in the first six months after the uprising construct Attica as an Event, a moment characterized by intense difference where everything becomes possible. A scrutiny of the Event requires dwelling in the moment before clear meanings have been solidified, so conceptualizing Attica as an Event in the writings that are temporally and geographically close to Attica requires speculation. By the time the first-year anniversary …

Consumer Spaces, Objects, And Bodies, Olivia Dovorany

Theses - ALL

Consumer Spaces, Objects, and Bodies is an exploration of consumerism and a study of objects, delving into the different marketplaces and products designed to influence our behavior. Using methods of collecting and image making, I question the relationship to my own consumption and challenge how I am programmed to respond as a consumer.

Diplomacy And The Dead: Authenticating The Sacred In Early Modern Spain, Caroline Barraco

Theses - ALL

This thesis considers two case studies from the transnational Spanish relic trade at the turn of the seventeenth century. The first study is that of Don Guillén de San Clemente y Centellas, a Spanish ambassador active at the end of the sixteenth century who was a conduit for antique and medieval relics for elite collectors within Spain. The second is of Luisa de Carvajal y Mendoza, was a Spanish noblewoman who traveled to England at the beginning of the seventeenth century and retrieved, prepared, and transported the bodies of Catholic martyrs back to Spain as new relics. These case studies …

The Girls: Queering The Family Archive, Kathleen Warren

Theses - ALL

My research and artistic practice explore how queerness can offer a liberatory framework for confronting intergenerational cycles of grief that reinforce the dual closets of emotional and sexual repression. Rooted in my own family’s history of traumatic loss, I explore the dialectics of memory and identity in my project The Girls. I explore how closeting operates in families and archives through several theoretical frameworks, with perspectives from Marianne Hirsch, bell hooks, and Michael Foucault’s History of Sexuality. By investigating the gendered roles imposed by the traditional family gaze, religion, and shame, the text examines how photography, archives, and performance can …

Tethered, Robert Zumwalt

Theses - ALL

Tethered explores the relationship I have built between music, the natural world, and the objects I make. Current ruminations as well as memories that influence my work are shared along with the techniques developed for this expression. In my ceramic practice, I work through multiple series simultaneously, often transitioning between projects, sometimes seemingly disparate. This writing mirrors that exploratory process, cautious not to arrive at any conclusions, as such definitive answers are not the artist’s responsibility. These things of my constructed world, these illusions that enable my actions, are examined as both obstacles and tools for connecting to the viewer.

The New Negro Myth, Jaleel Blanchard

Theses - ALL

The New Negro Myth explores the ways minstrel entertainment has influenced the creation and building of the animation and comics industry. My practice explores worldbuilding and character creation that pays homage to the aforementioned industries while interrogating already existing narratives. These characters are created with the vestigial minstrel (a character that is reminiscent of the minstrel) and vaudeville acts in mind. I also discuss the theme of the “other”, which plays a big role in limiting black representation as it creates an opposing force to white hegemony. Characters have consequently fallen prey to the “other” and the minstrel tradition, making …

Dead Woman Walking: Articulating Historical Violence Toward The Femme Through Visual Art And Cultural Experience, Angelica Elizabeth Starcovic

Theses - ALL

Individual identity formation is a crucial tool in my artistic practice. I rely on articulating my experiences as femme to reclaim and denounce the signifiers of femininity invented and perverted by patriarchy. Using historical survey of instances and explorations of fear and violence through art and visual culture, my works reckon with how archaic gender beliefs still entrench themselves in our contemporary worldviews and their psychological results. The deconstructions of these facades uncover the violence and fear ingrained in feminine identity inflicted through bodily control in culture. Here I argue for her humanity against the abject violence culture and media …

A Thematic Analysis Of The Experiences Of Black Participants And Their Life Satisfaction In Relation To Living In Syracuse, Shalyce Wilson

Theses - ALL

Syracuse, NY has a long history of poverty, crime, and low academic performance, especially in communities that Black residents call home. A Thematic Analysis of the Experiences of Black Participants and Their Life Satisfaction in Relation to Living in Syracuse is an exploratory study that examines the life satisfaction of Black residents of Syracuse, NY, as well as what aspects of their lives most affect--and are most affected by--their overall life satisfaction. The theory that guided this research is the bottom-up life satisfaction theory, which states that overall life satisfaction is dependent upon how an individual weighs their own satisfaction …

A Space Without Time, Grace C. Kerr

Theses - ALL

When I was a child, I grew up in a world without time – I was able to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. But, as I grew older, my life became dominated by the clock. Later in my life, I was introduced to Buddhism, and through the development of the practice of meditation, I was able to regain a sense of timelessness. A short time later, when visiting natural caves, I discovered timelessness in these spaces. The random structure, the tunnels, and the surface textures inspired me to invoke the idea of caves as a metaphor for my …

Not Quite, But Not Quite Not, Markus Denil

Theses - ALL

Through this MFA thesis I embark on an exploratory voyage, not to find solid ground, but rather an exploration at sea, where the tides and currents of masculinity, transmasculinity, place finding, and self-identification ebb and flow. This expedition is less a search for answers and more an odyssey of asking questions that inevitably beget even more questions. Through a series of multimedia works, including sculptures, installations, and drawings, I begin to tease out the dissonant relationship between the trans narrative and conventional understandings of time and space. Time moves differently here.

Causes, Effects And Amelioration Of Mob Justice In Liberia: A Case Study Of Paynesville Joe Bar In Monrovia, Kronyan Nawin Jappah

Theses - ALL

Mob justice refers to acts of violence meted out against an individual or individuals alleged to have committed a crime. Studies suggest that the inability of states to ensure equity, fairness, and impartiality within judicial proceedings facilitate mob justice. This study aims to explore causes, effects, and amelioration of mob justice in Joe Bar Community, Paynesville, Liberia. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire, focus groups and interviews from 300 community residents and legal practitioners in the Joe Bar Community. The causes of mob justice in Liberia are multi-faceted. In addition to a weak judiciary, the country has a history …

Schonbrun, Joshua, Kathryn Amend

Bronx Jewish History Project

Rabbi Joshua Schonbrun was born in 1930 and grew up on Clinton Avenue in the Bronx, part of a close-knit, heavily Jewish neighborhood. His upbringing was deeply shaped by Jewish education, family tradition, and the presence of immigrant culture. His father was a Polish immigrant who came to the U.S. in the 1920s, and his mother was of Romanian and Hungarian descent. Rabbi Schonbrun attended Jewish day school and later the Yeshiva of the Bronx, eventually pursuing his rabbinical ordination at Yeshiva University.

As a young man, he witnessed the transformation of Jewish life in the Bronx, including the shift …

Initiated Reading: Occult Hermeneutics In Helena Blavatsky's Isis Unveiled, Diana Brown

Dissertations - ALL

In this dissertation, I argue that Theosophical Society co-founder Helena Petrovna Blavatsky’s first major work, Isis Unveiled (1877), describes an occult hermeneutic of myth based on the privileging of intuition, theorized especially in Neoplatonic terms, and premised on a tripartite spirit-soul-body constitution of the human being. Her hermeneutic also privileges initiation, construed as experiential gnosis often produced by ritual, and she opposes both intuition and initiation to reason and empiricism. Theorizing global myths as allegories revealing elements of a universal religion, or secret doctrine, traceable to India, she brings together an esotericism premised on a combination of Indian religion and …

Proctor & Gamble’S Irreverent Wartime Marketing Campaign, Mary Gifford

History & Classics Student Scholarship

In the early twentieth century, Ivory Soap was renowned in America as a “dependable, old fashioned house-hold soap,” but by mid-century they began to face struggles with the rise of competition from similar soap companies and needed to differentiate themselves. The market was at capacity, with the “sales of soap to consumers rapidly reaching the saturation point and synthetic detergents coming into wider use, soap manufacturers face the ‘keenest competition in years.’” This saturation coincided with economic challenges stemming from World War II. During this turbulent period, marketing for non-essential products declined, prompting Procter & Gamble, Ivory Soap’s parent company, …