English Language and Literature Commons^™

Papacy In Paganism: The Great Schism Of Palamon And Arcite, Samantha Kathleen Diaz

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis looks at Geoffrey Chaucer’s the Canterbury Tales in the historical context of the Great Schism of the Catholic Church, during which time Chaucer lived and was writing the Canterbury Tales. It compares this work with Giovanni Boccaccio’s Teseida Delle Nozze d’Emilia and analyzes the way in which the two literary works critique the conflict in the Catholic Church in that time period, as well as giving hints to Chaucer’s views on these events and of the Catholic Church as a whole.

From Traditional To Modern: A Reflection On The Changes In Gender Space Through Architecture And Literature, Julia Chow

Whittier Scholars Program

This project examines China’s change and modernization, as seen in three phases of Chinese history, by reviewing trends in literature and changes in architectural form. This study relates how gender roles, and the change in understanding of how these roles play a part in Chinese society’s views of architectural space, both public (masculine) and private (feminine), form the late Qing through the republic and then to the Modern Era. The literary research examines The Dream of the Red Chamber by Tsao Hsueh Chin, Hsiao-Hsiao by Shen Ts’ung-wen, and the Golden Cangue by Eileen Chang. Through these three influential writers, this …

Sea Of Green: A Garden Journal, Lee Beltrand Chan

Whittier Scholars Program

This project is a culmination of the author's gardening experiences, love of creative writing, and interest in culinary arts. This project begins with a short narrative entitled "Tree Planting" followed by gardening diary entries which are intertwined with poetry and writing excerpts. This project also includes a discourse analysis of recent publications on the issue of food entitled "Food for Thought" which includes historical context, theoretical framework, metanarratives, and review of literature.

Collaboration Of Feminist And Postcolonial Discourses In The Plays Of Aphra Behn And Caryl Churchill, Erica Spiller

Theses and Dissertations

Subjugated groups studied by discourses of feminism and postcolonialism are commonly oppressed by white, male, imperial power systems. As different marginalized groups are exploited by the same dominant ideology the disparate discourses should collaborate in an attempt to fight the powers of oppression en masse. This thesis will explore not only how feminism and postcolonialism should collaborate, but that they have already been doing so for hundreds of years. In the seventeenth century the playwright Aphra Behn was already exploring the discourses as inseparable, and three-hundred-years later, playwright Caryl Churchill continues to do the same. By studying conventions of drama …

Seven Days, Andrew Smyth

Pitzer Senior Theses

Original short story.

King Of The Who? The Collective Unconscious And The Crafting Of National Identity In The Medieval Arthurian Tradition, Melissa Ridley-Elmes

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis examines the ways in which British writers of old have attempted to create a sort of ideal, national, British identity through the archetypal image of King Arthur, the “once and future king.” Drawing from sources such as Malory, Laʒamon, and Geoffrey of Monmouth, this thesis suggests that these authors’ texts, along with the texts of others who have modified the myth throughout history, have helped change and develop the way in which Britons think of themselves and their nation over the course of time.

An Examination Of William Faulkner's Use Of Biblical Symbolism In Three Early Novels: The Sound And The Fury, As I Lay Dying, And Light In August, Richard North

Masters Theses

During the years 1928-1932, William Faulkner wrote and published three novels containing varying but significant amounts of Biblical content and symbolism: The Sound and the Fury (1929), As I Lay Dying (1930), and Light in August (1932). In The Sound and the Fury, the characters of Benjy and Quentin Compson share some characteristics of Christ figures, but receive irony-laden treatment. The novel, however, presents the purest Christian character of this period of Faulkner's writing--the Compson family's Negro servant Dilsey. The Bible holds a similar influence over As I Lay Dying, specifically in the Old Testament. The Christian characters in this …

Singing For Your Country: Servicemen In World War Ii-Era Broadway Musicals, Robert L. Mclaughlin

Faculty Publications – English

No abstract provided.

Eve In The Image Of Man: Feminist Concerns In Paradise Lost, Katharine Van Arsdale

Honors Theses

John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost (1667) follows the story of creation, the transformation of Lucifer to Satan, and the eventual fall of humanity. Traditional readings of this poem that focus on Milton’s portrayals of Adam and Eve purport that the text presents an unflinchlingly misogynistic view of women. In Paradise Lost there is a definite gender hierarchy at work. This hierarchy is constructed by certain binaries that separate the world of the male from that of the female. Examples of these binaries are rampant throughout the text; men use reason, women do not. Men are strong and women are …

English Department Faculty Development Forum, Beth Bradburn

Academic Leadership Academy

This project consisted of the first ever English department retreat, where different disciplines in the field (Linguistics, Rhetoric and Writing, Literature, English Education, and Creative Writing) came together and shared their insights to the English language. This forum was called “What is a Difficult Text?”, and was followed by another forum, called “Authority.”

The Thematic Organization Of Spirits In Bondage, Joe R. Christopher

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Detailed examination of each poem in Spirits in Bondage, using the young poet’s “Matter = Nature = Satan” equation (as expressed in letters to his friend Arthur Greeves) to explore the underlying themes of Lewis’s not just pre-conversion, but pre-theism “cycle of lyrics.” The contrast between beauty and evil, irreconcilable in this stage of Lewis’s theological development, is shown to be a major concern in this work, heavily influenced by his World War I experiences. An appendix details the matter of the poems rejected and replaced before publication.

Éowyn's Grief, Brent D. Johnson

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Adds to the scholarly dialogue on Tolkien’s depiction of war-related mental trauma by examining Éowyn not as an example of post-traumatic stress disorder, but as a character suffering from, and beginning to recover from, traumatic grief. Emphasizes the role of Faramir as counselor and healer. Johnson’s experience as a military chaplain gives added strength to his observations.

Editorial, Janet Brennan Croft

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

No abstract provided.

Heroic Orual And The Tasks Of Psyche, Gwenyth Hood

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

In-depth exploration of Lewis’s Till We Have Faces, his retelling of the Psyche and Cupid myth from the viewpoint of one of Psyche’s sisters, Orual. Taking as her key the god’s admonition to Orual after she forces her sister to disobey him, “You also shall be Psyche,” Hood examines Orual’s transformations of herself and her society and the nature and meaning of the tasks she symbolically shares with her sister. An appendix details similarities and differences between the classical Latin sources and Lewis’s version.

"A Far Green Country": Tolkien, Paradise, And The End Of All Things In Medieval Literature, A. Keith Kelly, Michael Livingston

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Attempts to explain exactly what Frodo goes to when he sails from the Grey Havens. By looking at paradise, purgatory, and earthly Edens in medieval literature and theology, we gain a better understanding of the spiritual purpose of Tolkien’s “far green country” beyond the bent paths of the world. References “Pearl,” “Sir Orfeo,” mystery play cycles, and Sir John Mandeville’s Travels, among other sources.

"Two Sides Of The Same Magic": The Dialect Of Mortality And Immortality In Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn, Geoffrey Reiter

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Looks at the subtle balance of mortality and immortality in this story and how Beagle resolves their opposition though what his characters learn (or don’t learn) from experiencing both states of being. Considers not just the novel but the sequel short story “Two Hearts” and Beagle’s script for the movie of The Last Unicorn.

The Education Of A Witch: Tiffany Aching, Hermione Granger, And Gendered Magic In Discworld And Potterworld, Janet Brennan Croft

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Explores the depiction of gender in education, and how gender issues in education relate to power and agency, in two current young adult fantasy series featuring feisty heroines determined to learn all that they can: Hermione Granger in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, and Tiffany Aching, main character of three Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. Includes a brief appendix on cross-dressing in children’s literature.

Tolkien And Dogs, Just Dogs: In Metaphor And Simile, Emma Hawkins

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Examines dogs in Tolkien’s fiction; not just the actual dogs that appear in a wide range of his works, but also the use of dog-imagery in simile, metaphor, and character description, particularly the complex pattern of references and allusions Tolkien uses in the depictions of Sam, Gollum, and Wormtongue.

Reviews, David Bratman, Joe R. Christopher, Edith L. Crowe, Jason Fisher, Glen Goodknight, William Gray, Darrell Schweitzer, Amy H. Sturgis, Donald T. Williams

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Lilith in a New Light: Essays on the George Macdonald Fantasy Novel. Ed. Lucas H. Harriman. Reviewed by William Gray.

Black & White Ogre Country: The Lost Tales of Hilary Tolkien. Edited by Angela Gardner. Illustrated by Jef Murray. Reviewed by Glen GoodKnight.

C.S. Lewis and the Search for Rational Religion. John Beversluis. Reviewed by Donald T. Williams.

Faith and Choice in the Works of Joss Whedon. K.. Dale Koontz. Reviewed by Amy H. Sturgis.

Fritz Leiber, Critical Essays. Ed. Benjamin Szumskyj. Reviewed by Darrell Schweitzer.

Myth and Magic: Art according to the Inklings. Eduardo Segura and Thomas Honegger. Reviewed …

The Triumphant Tragedy Of King Lear, Erin Lamontage

English Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Patriots, Plumbers, And Our Better Angels: The Establishment Of Ethos In The Rhetoric Of The 2008 Presidential Campaigns Of Sens. John Mccain And Barack Obama, Ryan Matthew Hehner

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The focus of this thesis will be the rhetoric of the candidates for the two major parties—Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic President Barack Obama (who in this thesis will be referred to under the title he held during the campaign, Senator Obama). This thesis will examine the various ways in which the two candidates attempted to establish ethos during their respective campaigns.

Review Of Politics And Awe In Rudyard Kipling's Fiction, John S. Mcbratney

English

No abstract provided.

Making “Young Hamlet”, Matthew Harkins

English Faculty Publications

While youth’s subordinate position in Hamlet has played a vital role within the play’s critical tradition, this tradition has not questioned the ideological processes that create “youth” as a social category—that define what youth means, whom it includes, and why. Rather than portray an archetypal contest between the young and the old or portray Hamlet’s developmental progression from youth to maturity, the play examines the production and application of these categories as political phenomena. By exposing the circumscribed logic that produces these categories, Hamlet fractures the ideological justifications for early modern constructions of youth and age.

In Aid Of Teaching James Joyce's "Araby", Jason A. Snart

English Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Reclamation: The Value Of Black Gay Writing Lgbtq Studies Panel, Lisa C. Moore

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

How gratifying to see a packed house on October 14, 2008 for a discussion of Reclamation: The Value of Black Gay Writing! Co-sponsored by CLAGS and Freedom Train Productions (www.freedomtrainproductions.org), the panel of scholars—Terry Rowden, Professor of African-American Literature, College of Staten Island (CUNY), Jafari Sinclaire Allen, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and African-American Studies/American Studies, Yale University, La Marr Jurelle Bruce, Ph.D. student, African-American/American Studies, Yale University—and me, publisher Lisa C. Moore (Redbone Press) came to discuss the impact of black gay writers on the community and academia... and to bear witness, reclaim and critique the work within the first …

Ua68/6/1 The Phoenix, Vol. 2, Wku English

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU English department, includes information regarding courses and activities by faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Writing Program Administration At The Two- Year College: Ghosts In The Machine, Tim Taylor

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

The Anachronistic Shrews, James J. Marino

English Faculty Publications

A single line in the Folio text of The Taming of the Shrew seems to point to dates decades apart. A performer identified by his speech heading as 'Sinklo,' the actor John Sincklo or Sincler, recalls a stage character named 'Soto,' presumably the character from John Fletcher's Women Pleased. Sinklo's name is used to argue for an early date for the play, sometimes as early as 1592, while the allusion to Soto suggests a date around 1620. Scholars intent on setting an early date for the 1623 text and on preserving its priority to the 1594 Taming of a Shrew …

Footnotes, Issue 3, Spring 2009, Department Of English

Footnotes: Department of English Newsletter (2008-2012)

No abstract provided.

Zombies In Condoland, Laura Levin, Kim Solga

Department of English Publications

No abstract provided.