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Articles 1201 - 1230 of 1492

Full-Text Articles in English Language and Literature

Burke, Dewey, And The Experience Of Aristotle's Epideictic: An Examination Of Rhetorical Elements Found In The Funerals Of Lincoln, Kennedy, And Reagan, Xanthe Kristine Allen Farnworth Jun 2010

Burke, Dewey, And The Experience Of Aristotle's Epideictic: An Examination Of Rhetorical Elements Found In The Funerals Of Lincoln, Kennedy, And Reagan, Xanthe Kristine Allen Farnworth

Theses and Dissertations

This article examines the role of epideictic rhetoric as a tool for promoting civic virtue in the public realm through the application of Kenneth Burke's theory of identification and John Dewey's explanation of an aesthetic experience. Long the jurisdiction of Aristotle's logical arguments, civic discussion usually works within the realm of forensic or deliberative persuasion. However, scholarship in the last fifty years suggests there is an unexplored dimension of Aristotle's discussion of epideictic and emotion that needs to be examined in an attempt to identify its usefulness as a tool for examining human experience and practical behavior in the political …


Layering The March: E. L. Doctorow's Historical Fiction, Rachel Yvette Redfern Jun 2010

Layering The March: E. L. Doctorow's Historical Fiction, Rachel Yvette Redfern

Theses and Dissertations

E.L. Doctorow implements ideas of intertextuality and metafiction in his 2007 novel, The March, which is most notably apparent through its resemblance to the 1939 film, Gone with the Wind. Using Michel de Certeau's theory of spatial stories and Linda Hutcheon's of historiographic metafiction, this thesis discusses the layering of Doctorow's The March from the film seen in the character of Pearl from the novel and Scarlett from the film and Selznick's version of the burning of Atlanta and Doctorow's burning of Columbia.


Reason, Conflict, And Psychological Haunting: Considering The Turn Of The Screw As An Adapation Of Wieland, Elisa A. Findlay Jun 2010

Reason, Conflict, And Psychological Haunting: Considering The Turn Of The Screw As An Adapation Of Wieland, Elisa A. Findlay

Theses and Dissertations

Recent decades have seen heightened interest in Charles Brockden Brown and his contribution to American literature. Scholars have worked to reclaim Brown from the margins of literary history, but he remains on the outskirts of literature classrooms and conversations. In an effort to further map Brown's influence and significance in the American literary tradition, I discuss his most famous novel, Wieland, in relation to Henry James's The Turn of the Screw. Brown has not previously been linked to James or The Turn of the Screw in any significant way, but the similarities between the texts provide plenty of …


Reverence And Rhetorology: How Harmonizing Paul Woodruff's Reverence And Wayne Booth's Rhetorology Can Foster Understanding Within Communities, Jonathan D. Ogden Jun 2010

Reverence And Rhetorology: How Harmonizing Paul Woodruff's Reverence And Wayne Booth's Rhetorology Can Foster Understanding Within Communities, Jonathan D. Ogden

Theses and Dissertations

Wayne Booth's neologism rhetorology, introduced in 1981, hasn't caught on in rhetorical scholarship. Nevertheless, in this essay I hope to revive rhetorology by harmonizing it with Paul Woodruff's work on reverence. I show how harmonizing these terms makes each more comprehensible. In order to illustrate how reverence and rhetorology might be made more practical I also analyze two arguments in the health care debate leading up to the passing of the Affordable Health Care for America Act in early 2010. Ultimately I hope to show that rhetorology is a reverent rhetorical practice, one that can help us restore …


Interrupting The Cycle: Idealization, Alienation And Social Performance In James Joyce's "Araby," "A Painful Case," And "The Dead.", Nicholas Muhlestein Jun 2010

Interrupting The Cycle: Idealization, Alienation And Social Performance In James Joyce's "Araby," "A Painful Case," And "The Dead.", Nicholas Muhlestein

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis considers Joyce's short stories "Araby," "A Painful Case," and the "The Dead," illustrating how these works present three intellectually and emotionally similar protagonists, but at different stages of life, with the final tale "The Dead" suggesting a sort of limited solution to the conflicts that define the earlier works. Taken together, "Araby" and "A Painful Case," represent a sort of life cycle of alienation: the boy of "Araby" is an isolated, deeply introspective youth who lives primarily within his own idealized mental world before discovering, through a failed romantic quest at the story's end, the complete impracticality of …


Twitter Rhetoric: From Kinetic To Potential, Jeffrey C. Swift Jun 2010

Twitter Rhetoric: From Kinetic To Potential, Jeffrey C. Swift

Theses and Dissertations

Everyone can agree that microblogging service Twitter makes a terrible first impression. Many will agree that this impression is an accurate assessment of many microblogging media, especially considering the narcissistic and egotistical bent that so often dominates the genre. Rhetoricians are justifiably skeptical of microblogging, especially of its rhetorical value (or lack thereof). While many rhetorical scholars have contributed to the field of digital rhetoric, the field of microblogging rhetoric is still undefined. This article examines a new kind of rhetoric exhibited by Twitter, attempting to both start the discussion about Twitter rhetoric and enter the ongoing discussion about theories …


Women Mourners, Mourning "Nobody", Jennifer Pecora Jun 2010

Women Mourners, Mourning "Nobody", Jennifer Pecora

Theses and Dissertations

Historian David Bell recently suggested that scholars reconsider the impact of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815) upon modern culture, naming them the first "total war" in modern history. My thesis explores the significance of the wars specifically in the British mourning culture of the period by studying the war literature of four women writers: Anna Letitia Barbauld, Amelia Opie, Jane Austen, and Felicia Hemans. This paper further asks how these authors contributed to the development of a national consciousness studied by Georg Lukács, Benedict Anderson, and others. I argue that women had a representative experience of non-combatants' struggle to …


Criticism As Redemption: Jonathan Safran Foer's Theory Of Meaning, Lauren Nicole Barlow Jun 2010

Criticism As Redemption: Jonathan Safran Foer's Theory Of Meaning, Lauren Nicole Barlow

Theses and Dissertations

Not long after the release of his first novel, Everything is Illuminated, critics and authors alike began showering Jonathan Safran Foer with both praise and disparagement for his postmodern style. Yet, this large body of criticism ignores the theoretical work taking place within Foer's fiction. This thesis attempts to fill this gap by highlighting specific aspects of Foer's theoretical work as it relates to the creation of meaning in a text and to explore what this work might imply for the broader literary community. Much of Foer's work toys with the capacity of language to express meaning, indulging in …


Drink Me, Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Blog, James Arthur Goldberg Jun 2010

Drink Me, Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Blog, James Arthur Goldberg

Theses and Dissertations

Language itself is a technology, and the advent of each major technology of language transmission (from the alphabet to the printing press to the Internet) has changed the range of speaker-audience dynamics which are the starting point for all creative writing. In this thesis, a writer, armed only with his blog archives and a smattering of John Tenniel illustrations, guides the curious reader through various issues raised by creative writing in the blog form. Topics discussed include self-presentation, the juxtaposed brevity and expansiveness of online texts, nonlinear reading, alternative models for revision, the literary possibilities of the hyperlink, speaker-audience-time relationships …


From Poe And Hitchcock To...Reality Tv?, Kelsey W. Phelps Jun 2010

From Poe And Hitchcock To...Reality Tv?, Kelsey W. Phelps

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis expands the discussion of the mass appeal and sustained success of reality TV by initiating an examination of the direct connections between reality TV and cinematic and written fiction. As reality TV has firmly established itself as a successful genre of entertainment over the last two decades, scholarship has been slow to follow. The majority of existing scholarship focuses on reality TV as a descendant of the documentary and emphasizes the role of the non-professional, the average person, as the star. Reality TV's appropriation of structural elements from general fiction is acknowledged only briefly and the use of …


The Absurd In The Briar Patch: Ellison's Invisible Man And Existentialism, Eliot J. Wilcox Mar 2010

The Absurd In The Briar Patch: Ellison's Invisible Man And Existentialism, Eliot J. Wilcox

Theses and Dissertations

This article claims that Ralph Ellison's use and then revision of French existential themes is essential to understanding his overriding message of Invisible Man: Ellison's hope for a more polyglot American democracy that transcends the white democracy of mid twentieth century America. Specifically, I argue that Ellison, after demonstrating his ability to understand and engage in the traditional ideology of European existentialism, deviates from its individualistic conclusions demanding that the larger community, not just the solitary individual, must become ethically responsible if the classic existential tenet of authenticity is to be achieved. In order to establish this claim, I …


National Identity Transnational Identification: The City And The Child As Evidence Of Identification Among The Poetic Elite, Mary L. Hedengren Mar 2010

National Identity Transnational Identification: The City And The Child As Evidence Of Identification Among The Poetic Elite, Mary L. Hedengren

Theses and Dissertations

While poetry has historically been connected with rhetoric, few rhetoricians have studied contemporary poetry. Jeffery Walker suggests that this is because contemporary poetry, unlike classical poetry, no longer addresses all socio-economic levels of society but has become insular and self-referential (329). He criticizes that poetry no longer cuts vertically across one culture's hierarchy. I agree that poetry no longer addresses all segments of society, but I argue that this doesn't mean poetry is no longer rhetorical. Contemporary poetry now operates horizontally to unite the cultural elite of many national and ethnic groups by appealing to their identity as poetry readers. …


Public Spheres, Democracy, And New Media: Using Blogs In The Composition Classroom, Katherine Elizabeth Cowley Mar 2010

Public Spheres, Democracy, And New Media: Using Blogs In The Composition Classroom, Katherine Elizabeth Cowley

Theses and Dissertations

Public spheres theories provide purpose and direction to composition instruction: the teaching of writing within this context empowers our students to participate in public discourse and make a difference in communities. New media has been celebrated for its democratic nature, and composition instructors have begun to use public spheres theories as they incorporate new media in the classroom to create a protopublic space. Yet most composition instructors have ignored the wealth of evidence that shows that the Internet is not as democratic as it seems. As such, our new media teaching practices should account for both the democratic opportunities and …


The Level Of The Beasts That Perish: Animalized Text In Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna's Helen Fleetwood, Christie Anne Peterson Mar 2010

The Level Of The Beasts That Perish: Animalized Text In Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna's Helen Fleetwood, Christie Anne Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Although Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna's 1839 social reform novel Helen Fleetwood has long been understood as a commentary on the dehumanizing effects of factory work, her use of animals to represent factory workers has not been considered in analyses of her depictions of dehumanization. Considering both the growing interest in the animal/human divide during the early nineteenth century and Tonna's own direct contributions to discussions about animals, in this essay I examine the role that animals play in negotiating definitions of humanity and nature in the novel. I argue that idealized, "Edenic" animals and corrupted, "industrial" animals are integral to Tonna's …


Proposing A Purpose: Rhetorical Paideia Goals For First Year Composition, Lauren Everett Johnson Mar 2010

Proposing A Purpose: Rhetorical Paideia Goals For First Year Composition, Lauren Everett Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

First Year Composition (FYC) instructors are often left to puzzle out the larger meaning of the most ubiquitous course in our field for themselves; consequently, goals for the course are frequently selected by the instructor, and are not always most effective for laying a groundwork of lifelong learning and education, or paideia. This lack of clear and unifying goals for the course is illustrated by a piece of 2005 scholarship that points to multiple focuses for FYC, each different in its values and aims. FYC is an important course for students, not only because it is one of only …


Number, Newtonianism, And Sublimity In James Thomson's The Seasons, Jessie Leatham Wirkus Mar 2010

Number, Newtonianism, And Sublimity In James Thomson's The Seasons, Jessie Leatham Wirkus

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, literary critics have increasingly drawn on methods of quantitative analysis to understand the readers and literature of the eighteenth century. Ironically, however, the eighteenth century is home to debates concerning the nature and usefulness of number, counting, and therefore, on some level, quantitative analysis. Eighteenth-century questions of number form an important part of the intellectual history of this period; these questions of number, in turn, hold important implications for language and the period's literature. I argue that the far-reaching influence of eighteenth-century questions of number can be seen especially well in the nature poetry of James Thomson. To explore …


Forum Prompt: Problems In Comparative Ethnic Literary Studies, John A. Cutler Jan 2010

Forum Prompt: Problems In Comparative Ethnic Literary Studies, John A. Cutler

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.


Rent Party Music: A Reflection Of Cultural Identity In The Blacker The Berry, Angela Lankford Jan 2010

Rent Party Music: A Reflection Of Cultural Identity In The Blacker The Berry, Angela Lankford

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.


Representation Of The "Real" In Joan Didion's Democracy, Alyse Leininger Jan 2010

Representation Of The "Real" In Joan Didion's Democracy, Alyse Leininger

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.


The Wolf Yearling, Jeffrey Alfier Jan 2010

The Wolf Yearling, Jeffrey Alfier

The Utah English Journal

No abstract provided.


Words, Ken Solomon Jan 2010

Words, Ken Solomon

The Utah English Journal

No abstract provided.


Spectral, Ann Taylor Jan 2010

Spectral, Ann Taylor

The Utah English Journal

No abstract provided.


Re-Assessing Persuasive Writing: An Essay-Free Approach, Alyssa Randall Jan 2010

Re-Assessing Persuasive Writing: An Essay-Free Approach, Alyssa Randall

The Utah English Journal

As many of you may be aware, the ninth grade Utah persuasive writing test was changed to the eighth grade year. The state core requirements, however, did not reflect this change, and as many of you probably did, I began thinking of the challenge I faced to fit a persuasive writing unit into my already tight schedule. The more I thought about how to implement this new requirement, the more I thought about the typical persuasive essay that seemed mandated by the test and I cringed. While I believe the five-paragraph essay to be an important writing tool, I did …


Terrific Biographies For Teens: Do They Exist?, Amanda Mackay Jan 2010

Terrific Biographies For Teens: Do They Exist?, Amanda Mackay

The Utah English Journal

About the time I began my career as a junior high English teacher, I started reading a lot of biographies. I felt empowered as I read real stories of real people overcoming real obstacles. Recalling my first experience with this genre, I couldn’t help wondering why I didn’t read more of them when I was younger. I realized that I’d rarely seen my students choosing to read biographies either. As a teacher, I became curious about my students’ experiences with biographies. Had my students even read biographies? If so, what did they think of the genre? What would make them …


An Interview With Gary Soto, Mary Rice Jan 2010

An Interview With Gary Soto, Mary Rice

The Utah English Journal

Gary Soto is a Mexican-American author and poet from the San Joaquin Valley of California. Soto’s poems are mostly about his daily life and experiences. He was the guest author for the 2009 Utah Council of Teachers of English conference. In the following interview Soto discusses his poetry and himself as a poet.


Helping Students Find That Comfortable Place Within Themselves, Denee Tyler Jan 2010

Helping Students Find That Comfortable Place Within Themselves, Denee Tyler

The Utah English Journal

Just like all English/Language Arts teachers, every August is a new beginning for me. I know I will see room after room of new faces, and my challenge will be to create a class atmosphere where each student will feel accepted, valued, and safe—all while encouraging my students to take risks and grow. It can be a very daunting task, but it is always rewarding. I’ve found that focusing on narrative writing—particularly memoir—during those first few weeks together is the key to building the classroom community I am looking for.


Revisiting Revision: Redefining The Writing Process, Kevin Lemley Jan 2010

Revisiting Revision: Redefining The Writing Process, Kevin Lemley

The Utah English Journal

If you were to ask one of your students to tell you where to fit revision into the writing process, they would probably tell you it was one of the last steps. “The writing process begins with pre-writing, then drafting, then revising, and last of all proofreading,” they might respond. As teachers, we generally teach some form of this writing process. The problem with this instruction is that students often perceive the writing process as an unflinching standard, a one-way road with a dead end—no U-turns allowed. Revision becomes nothing more than a stop sign, a landmark that must be …


Risks And Rewards: Lessons From Bike Riding And The Central Utah Writing Project, Sarita Rich Jan 2010

Risks And Rewards: Lessons From Bike Riding And The Central Utah Writing Project, Sarita Rich

The Utah English Journal

Fifteen years after learning to ride a bike, I began my career as an English teacher. I’ve since learned that teaching, like bike riding, involves learning through risk-taking. None of the risks I’ve taken as a teacher to implement new curriculum ideas or classroom management practices have been wasted opportunities. Each attempt at risk-taking has led me to discover what works and what doesn’t. The greatest benefits of risk-taking come only after teachers are willing to try something new.


Learning And Teaching With Graphic Novels, Rob Kirkham Jan 2010

Learning And Teaching With Graphic Novels, Rob Kirkham

The Utah English Journal

Comic books have faced harsh criticism from the general masses and the academic community since their early beginnings in the late 19th century. However, using visual media such as cartoons, comics, and graphic novels in the classroom provides educators with a number of valuable teaching aids for today’s students. Yet, sadly, these resources remain largely untapped.


The Nine-Month Hypothesis: An English Teacher's First Year, Haylee Frohlich Jan 2010

The Nine-Month Hypothesis: An English Teacher's First Year, Haylee Frohlich

The Utah English Journal

I never felt any affinity with scientists until I became a teacher, and in my opinion there is an uncanny resemblance between our two professions. As any junior high student can tell you, there are essential steps in the scientific process, namely: a problem or question which warrants a solution, a prediction or hypothesis of the solution, careful observation of the results, and a conclusion based upon those steps. In my first year of teaching I learned a real world application of the term “hypothesis.” I realized that teachers are the scientific method personified. We hypothesize. We experiment. We deduce. …