English Language and Literature Commons^™

Power Of Story: Christian Writing That Brings Redemption, Mahayla Rishel

Masters Theses

Christian writers have the unique opportunity to not only evoke emotion but to share the transformational love of Jesus Christ through their stories. A Redemptive Character Arc is a writing structure for fiction that transitions a character from the lie they believe to the fruit of the truth. Its writing structure goes from Beginning, Doorway, Inciting Incidents, Reckoning, Moment of Change, to Results. The Beginning is the character’s backstory and the lie they believe. The Doorway is the character’s need for change and the point of no return. Inciting Incidents reveal the truth to the character through suffering. The Reckoning …

Monstrous Origins: A Biblical Anthropology Of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein And Bram Stoker's Dracula, Josue Lopez

Masters Theses

In their texts, Stoker and Shelley embody the Christian doctrines of the creation and the incarnation through their monsters, who invert the central tenets of Christianity. Frankenstein’s monster and its relationship to Victor Frankenstein are presented as a maladapted and gross mimicry of God’s creation of man in Genesis. Victor, in his attempt to create life, tries to play God, and his hubristic endeavor unleashes a monstrous being on creation. Likewise, Count Dracula’s vampirism is portrayed as a corruptive reduction of Christ’s incarnation and resurrection. For the regenerative vampiric body, resurrection is not a redemptive act but a curse. The …

Paradise Reimagined: C. S. Lewis’S Science Fiction Response To John Milton’S Paradise Lost, Andrew M. Fulbright

Masters Theses

This paper explores the literary dialogue between John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost and C.S. Lewis’s science fiction novel Perelandra. Whereas Milton’s epic established the modern Western imagination of man’s fall in the Garden of Eden, Lewis sought to provide a distinct reimagining of the foundational narrative. Comparing the author’s depictions of both unfallen worlds, the nature of mankind’s innocence, and the act of temptation illustrates the dialogue taking place between Milton and Lewis. This analysis also highlights Lewis’s deconstruction of the romantic character of Satan, which critics of Milton find to be the biggest flaw in his poem. While …

From Inferno To Middle Earth: The Transformation Of Sin, Judgment, And Redemption In Dante, Milton, And Tolkien., Caleb L. Carrier

Masters Theses

This thesis examines how Dante's Inferno, Milton's Paradise Lost, and J.R.R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings transforms the traditions of the Christina Epic and its understanding of sin, judgement, and redemption across historical and theological contexts. Using the New Historicist lens of literary criticism, this thesis considers how each author adapts the literary and religious traditions for their respective era. In tracing these connections, this thesis argues that the three works do not simply repeat Christian doctrine; they transform it through literary form, revealing how moral concerns evolve while continuing to shape the literary canon.

The Spitters Got Something To Say: Exploring The Literary Merit Of Hip Hop And It's Lyrics, Baffour Ofori-Danquah

Masters Theses

Hip Hop and Literature have existed side by side for years, but their public perception and accreditation is more akin to fire and ice. Literature has been exalted, honored, and revered for generations while hip hop is often cast aside as the ugly stepsibling. To those on the outside this is normal and just but to those who are truly familiar with both art forms this is unfair. Hip Hop and Literature have always been more alike than different, and their biggest similarity is their literary merit. Through the examination of rap lyrics as literature, decoding the meaning and function …

Music Subworlds, Disjointed Mind‑Style And Possible Selves In Hoda Barakat’S Ahl Al‑Hawā: A Cognitive Stylistic Analysis, Sarah M. Fayed, Amany Mohamed El-Shazly, Fatma Ismail

Computer Science

The representation of mental distress in fiction has been the subject of much research. Western fiction has produced numerous cognitive stylistic studies investigating how linguistic choices can serve as an effective analytical method; however, the use of cognitive stylistic tools to examine this phenomenon in Arabic remains much more limited. Furthermore, including theories such as mind-style, possible selves, and subworlds to assess mental distress is another under-researched area in Arabic fiction. Some notable work on these theories includes Emmott and Sanford (2012) on subworlds, Semino (2014) on mind-style, and Bak (2015) on possible selves and mental distress. This paper utilizes …

Engl 426: Editing And Production Workshop (Syllabus), Lytton Smith Ph.D.

School of Arts & Sciences

This syllabus was developed by SUNY Geneseo Professor Lytton Smith for the fall 2026 semester.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of editing practices, including manuscript review and selection, and correspondence with contributors.
2. Students will show proficiency at a variety of practical aspects of publishing such as copyediting, proofreading, layout, creating advertising, and soliciting work from SUNY writers and artists.
3. Students will demonstrate knowledge of contemporary literary journals.
4. Students will show ability to work collaboratively.

Barrel-Rides And She-Elves: Audience And Anticipation In Peter Jackson’S Hobbit Trilogy [Note], Janet Croft

Faculty Publications

Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, to the audience that loved the Lord of the Rings films, is an exciting opportunity to revisit Tolkien’s fantastic world and see favorite characters acting out their earlier adventures. The reader of the books, though, is often likely to find the difference in tone between the children’s book and the vastly expanded films jarring. This essay will explore audience expectations, the difficulties of filming a “prequel” after a “sequel,” and issues of “anticipation” in relation to character development.

Ai/Human Companionship In Literature: An Investigation Of Klara And The Sun And Neuromancer, Matthew Hale

Tredway Library Prize for First-Year Research

Our honorable mention essay, “AI/Human Companionship in Literature: An Investigation of Klara and the Sun and Neuromancer,” presents a complicated argument about the role of fiction in relation to technological advances in a passionate and accessible voice. Its willingness to interrogate its primary sources, to accept nothing at face value and to critically evaluate narrative choices and their implications, is especially admirable. Written in Dr. Elizabeth Lawrence’s APEP section of FYI 101, the essay is notable for its prose and for its originality. By discussing the consequences of its two sources’ differing treatments of technology, the paper points out the …

Featured Archivist: Phillip Fitzsimmons, University Archivist And Special Collections Librarian, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Scene Savers, Phillip Fitzsimmons

Faculty Articles & Research

"In 2007, as a newly minted librarian fresh from completing his Master of Library and Information Studies at the University of Oklahoma, taking every archiving class that was available at the time, Phillip was given a straightforward assignment: scan or photograph everything in a conference room and make it available online."

Progress, Poetry, And Peace: Romantic Ideals And The Present Day, Kristen Dawn Morgan Hess

Masters Theses

In the busy, technologized, and mechanized life that most people live today, it can be difficult to find true rest, comfort, and peace because the very technology and machinery that is marketed as providing these 21st-century amenities often fall short in their delivery. Taking a look backward at the Romantic era ideals presented in the poetry of William Wordsworth can offer people today the chance to gradually improve their mental, physical, and emotional health by slowing down, minimalizing, and moderating their lifestyles. This thesis talks about the historical background of three of Wordsworth’s poems— “Lines Written in Early Spring,” “The …

How The African American Contribution To Early American Literature Aided In Shaping The American Literary Identity, Jennifer E. Thompson

Masters Theses

This study argues that Jupiter Hammon’s early African American literature actively helped shape American literary identity rather than just mirroring it. By blending Christian morality with human rights, Hammon challenged Eurocentric narratives, validated Black humanity, and established a foundational tradition for anti-slavery writing. Traditional theories often contest this national inclusion through critical viewpoints. These views treat slavery as a distinct model, arguing that these texts represent separate responses to bondage rather than unified contributions to a shared national canon. This research redefines the American literary canon by showing how Hammon's historic publications dismantled eighteenth-century racist ideals about intellectual capacity. His …

"T.S. Stribling" And "T.S. Stribling's Ties To Lauderdale County", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

The articles offer an overview of Pulitzer-prize winning author and Florence Normal College alum T.S. Stribling, as well as his connections to Lauderdale County, Alabama.

The Bridwell Quill, April-September, Issues 92–97, Anthony Elia

Bridwell Library Publications

No abstract provided.

Tolkien Fanzine Dataset, 1967-2017 [Bulk 1969-1979], Robinson Ensz, Gabriel Marotto, Aidan Oakey, Ivy Stanich, Ethan Thomas

Tolkien Resources

This dataset reveals the heretofore hidden contents of fan magazines (fanzines) related to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien that were created from 1969 through the publication of Tolkien’s The Silmarillion in 1977. It supplements the earlier Tolkien Fandom Review by S. Gary Hunnewell that discussed fanzines created through 1968. The dataset provides an item level index of the fanzines’ content and is intended to aid researchers in Fan Studies. It is accompanied by an inventory document that lists the fanzine titles and provides brief notes about some of them. Data was drawn from Marquette’s large holding of Tolkien fanzines, including …

Somewhere Far And Somewhere Near: A Short Story Collection, Jizelle Villegas

English Honors Projects

Somewhere Far and Somewhere Near is a short story collection that positions body horror, “where corporeality constitutes the main site of fear, anxiety and disgust,” alongside Gloria Anzaldúa’s concept of la facultad, or “see[ing] deeper realities within surface phenomena,” which is heightened in the Latina body. Stories range from depicting realistic body horror like cancer and disordered eating to the grotesque and supernatural, like spirits and vampires. I draw on Latina speculative fiction writers, Tejana scholars and my own lived experiences to explore how location and identity presses upon the emotional and psychological stakes of my Latina characters

Seventeenth Century Poetry And Music: A Syllabus (English 721), Carrie Hintz

Open Educational Resources

A syllabus for my fall English 721 class (Seventeenth Century Literature: Poetry and Music).

The Dream Itself Was Home”: Imaginary Homelands As A Model For Analyzing Contemporary African Return Narratives, Renee King

Masters Theses

Although contemporary African return narratives featuring female protagonists explore a wide range of themes, they consistently portray women who struggle to situate themselves within an increasingly globalized world. In these narratives, the homeland initially functions as a stabilizing anchor that emboldens the protagonist to pursue education or employment abroad, yet works such as Doreen Baingana’s Tropical Fish and Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah reveal that the homeland the protagonists once treated as immutable ultimately exposes itself as a dream. This destabilization unsettles the notion of an unshakeable cultural identity and demonstrates how migration reshapes both the self and the meaning of home. …

Secondary English Teachers' Experiences Of Supporting Literacy Using Books That Support Diversity And Inclusion: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Tremonisha L. Putros

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the use of supporting BIPOC students’ literacy with books that support diversity and inclusion for secondary English teachers in the United States. The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s social cognitive theory, as it stresses personal student engagement in individual learning tasks. The Central Research Question asks: What are the lived experiences of secondary English teachers who support BIPOC students’ literacy with books that support diversity and inclusion by teaching a novel with a BIPOC protagonist in a predominantly BIPOC class? Employing a qualitative methodology, this hermeneutic phenomenology examined the …

Grieving And Attentiveness: Perception As Flourishing In Ocean Vuong And Mary Oliver, Madison Smith

Papers

The paper argues that poets Ocean Vuong and Mary Oliver treat grief as something formative to one's life and character rather than purely destructive; through their suffering, the subject has the opportunity to cultivate a sense of attentiveness that transforms perceptions of the self, others, history, and the natural world.

This project was an output for The Belmont Formation Scholars Cohort for Character Research and Writing, which received generous support funding from The Kern Family Foundation.

I gratefully acknowledge peer review feedback on this project, and I am accountable for writing of this product without generative AI and in alignment …

A Poetic Call For And A Reflection And Commentary On Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, And Compassion, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Finding a published poem I had written as a teenager, titled “The Heavens Weep.” this article uses that poem as the basis for a commentary that reflects on the state of the world today (2026),  As a commentary, the article uses the poetic and metaphoric words in the poem as a relevant "reality check" for what is still going on today.  In essence, the commentary is about a call for Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, and Compassion, or what I call Archetypal Energies, Higher Vibrational Energies that operate deep within our individual and collective psyches to creatively urge us to "see" …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 42: How Accurate Are The Transcriptions Presented At The Alfred Russel Wallace Page Website?, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

A look is taken at the level of accuracy displayed by the transcriptions of Wallace writings offered at the Alfred Russel Wallace Page website, as determined by a ChatGPT analysis.

What Is Left After Memory: Love, The Body, And The Unconscious In Little Fish, Paul Longley Arthur, Isabel Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Chad Hartigan’s science fiction romantic drama Little Fish was released in 2020, soon after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the disease plaguing communities in Little Fish is not affecting people’s bodies but their minds—those who have contracted Neuroinflammatory Affliction (NIA) are losing their memories. The story centres upon the experiences of one young couple as they anxiously witness the disease take hold of their community, loved ones, and eventually one another. The film explores relationships between memory and identity, and poses questions about the ways these processes interact with those of love and loss. Who are we once …

Reading List: Introduction To Mystery And Detective Literature, Jesse Cordes Selbin

Open Syllabus Collection

The bloody knife. The telltale footprint. The courtroom confession. We all know the cliches of the detective and mystery genres, so why do they remain novel even when you know “whodunit”? This class will investigate the literary and cultural factors that make detective fiction perennially popular, from Sherlock Holmes to your favorite true crime podcast. In order to explore central questions raised by mystery novels, short stories, poems, and plays about the craft of storytelling itself, we will read bestselling authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Charles Dickens, as well as lesser-known writers like …

Colonial Futures: Ngaio Marsh, War, And The End Of Empire, Heather M. Robinson

Publications and Research

Between the years of 1941 and 1945, Ngaio Marsh published three New Zealand-focused whodunnits; all three of these stories explore the impacts of the Second World War to some degree. What is curious is not that Marsh wrote about the war, but her sustained focus on New Zealand and New Zealanders, given that Marsh’s fiction usually took place in London or its surrounding counties. It marks the impact on Marsh of the global conflict that was changing the world, and shaking the foundations of colonialism and modernity as they had been known before 1939. In this essay, I explore how …

Desert Desires And The War On Terror: Pre- And Post-9/11 Sheikh Romances, Leena Altamimi

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

The existence of sheikh romances as a subgenre has prevailed for well over a century in Western literature. Therefore, would one be able to discern whether the book cover imagery as well as the textual content showcases any tangible differences pre and post 9/11, and America’s “war on terror” campaign? A total of five books are observed: The Sheik by E.M. Hull published in 1919, Sarah Holland’s Desert Destiny published in 1991, Loreth Anne White’s The Sheik Who Loved Me and Penny Jordan’s Possessed by the Sheikh (both published in 2005), and lastly Crowned for the Sheikh’s Baby by Sharon …

Syllabus: Engl 1010 English Composition I, Sarah C. Bonanno

Open Educational Resources

This is a syllabus for English Composition I (ENGL 1010 FYSA) taught at Brooklyn College during the Fall 2026 semester. This course teaches students concrete and transferable writing skills through the genres of literacy narrative, argumentative essays, and comparative writing.

Ztc Eng 2400: Composition Ii Syllabus, Ann Marie Dorr

Open Educational Resources

Asynchronous continuation of writing studies in Composition II considering the lens of the role of the cultural critic using New York Times access as the key resource via the CUNY Library system to consider writing research based essays including personal narrative, academic research papers, and reviews.

The Hunt For Eden: Humanity’S Journey Home Through The Epics Of Milton And Homer, Hannah Pryor

Masters Theses

This thesis argues that the recurrent theme of loss and home in the Western Literature tradition reflects humanity’s innate and theological memory of losing Eden. An examination of Homer’s The Odyssey and John Milton’s Paradise Lost in comparison with the Biblical text serve both as literary companions and ethical dichotomies. Some of the greatest pieces of Western Literature highlight the greatest tragedy and triumph the world has ever and will ever know – the loss of Paradise and the hunt for Eden. Nothing is perhaps more heartbreaking and inspiring than reading and living the story of humanity’s journey home.

Extracurricular Video Game Use And Academic Achievement: A Systematic Literature Review, Christina Hartman, Theo Makanoa, Lucas Thoms, Aidan Lowry, Kaleb Chandler

English Student Research

A good deal of research exists on the relationship between student use of video games outside the classroom and academic achievement. Our systematic review aims to identify what patterns exist across research conducted in the last 20 years. We examined 62 research studies that dealt with academic achievement and extracurricular video game use and found that most studies identify a negative association between the two. However, this isn’t the case for all students. We identified three important variables (the amount of time spent playing video games, the time of day or week spent playing, and the age of the students) …