Creative Writing | Open Access Articles | Digital Commons Network™

he Russian word Samozvanets most directly translates to Imposter in English. However, for this thesis, I have selected the alternative interpretation of Pretender. Imposter implies the taking or assuming of another’s position. Pretender, more personally, carries the meaning of presenting self as something one is not. It is through the lens of the Pretender that I examine the idea of what it means to be a member of a particular ethnicity, and to engage with one’s cultural heritage. I do this through a collection of fictional stories, investigating various lives within the Russian diaspora following the dissolution of the Soviet …

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The Razor And The Reel, Lee Mayes Jan 2023

The Razor And The Reel, Lee Mayes

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

“The Razor and The Reel” is a crime fiction novel focusing on the darker side of mass media, the corruption of ideals, and the nature of truth in an uncertain world. It is a nightmarish descent into an alternate history of the American 1920s, where the parallels to today's culture of prevailing despair, social collapse, and ruthless capitalism become increasingly obvious as the novel progresses. The plot follows a trio of gangsters as they attempt to rescue a runaway girl from a small but twisted southern town rampant with religious extremism and racism. This town (modeled after Orlando Florida before …

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Harvest: A Story Of Afropessimism, Briana Williams, Briana Williams Jan 2023

Harvest: A Story Of Afropessimism, Briana Williams, Briana Williams

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Afropessimism is the idea that Black people will never be able to truly overcome the centuries of racism and oppression they have faced. A bleak notion, the idea heavily contrasts with Afrofuturism, the ways in which Black people use technology to regain their autonomy and rise from the societal binds they’re placed in. This story focuses on how even in the supposedly more evolved and progressive political landscape of the modern world, Black people still cannot escape the shackles of racism, particularly in the United States. Taking the common themes of and ideologies of Afropessimism, Harvest follows the story of …

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Ferment, Casey Carpenter Jan 2023

Ferment, Casey Carpenter

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The fermentation process – an act of breaking down, letting go, and moving forward – is used by the author as poetic lens and as a narrative tool for self-reflection, self-transformation, cultural reflection, and cultural transformation. Akin to our own adolescent maturation, plants, fruits, and vegetables develop protective barriers around their most vulnerable parts in reaction to the health and condition of their lived environment. While serving a purpose of survival in the moment, these barriers will later cause the food to rot and spoil if left unchecked. The act of fermentation is thus explored as a managed process of …

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The Prince Of New York, Eric Fantauzzi Jan 2023

The Prince Of New York, Eric Fantauzzi

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Inspired by both Kendrick Lamar’s 2017 album DAMN and Logic’s 2017 album Everybody, my project, “The Prince of New York,” is a story that speaks to the experiences of my character, Scott McKenzie. Using the thematic through line of athletics, the project is a coming-of-age story that shows Scott’s growth as both a high school athlete and a biracial teenager living in New York City. Throughout the story we see Scott navigate the pressures of living up to the expectations set by his parents, as well as those of being a star athlete. Initially, Scott wants to win a championship …

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Spring Island, South Carolina, Marjory Wentworth Dec 2022