English Language and Literature Commons^™

Farewell To Shadowlands: C.S. Lewis On Death, Kathryn Lindskoog

Mythopoeic Society Seminar Proceedings

Examines death as portrayed in many of Lewis’s fictional and apologetic writings, and particularly in the Chronicles of Narnia. Discusses Lewis’s attitudes toward his own impending death as expressed to friends and his brother Warren.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

On The Natures & Histories Of The Great Rings, Virginia Dabney

Mythopoeic Society Seminar Proceedings

Primarily Middle-earth studies rather than criticism. Reviews the history of the great rings, bringing together information from various parts of LotR Appendices (The Silmarillion not yet available at this time). Speculates on the linguistic roots of the names of the three Elven rings and the possibility that the seven Dwarven rings may have had associations with the alchemical metals and the nine rings for Men with the planets.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

The Structure And Aesthetic Of Tolkien’S Lord Of The Rings, Randel Helms

Mythopoeic Society Seminar Proceedings

Describes five “laws” underlying Tolkien’s Middle-earth and how the action of The Lord of the Rings proceeds logically from them: the cosmos is ultimately providential; the result of an action is influenced by its intent; moral and magical laws are as important as physical laws; states of mind influence physical reality; and experience is the realization of proverbial truth or romantic convention.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Tolkien, Lewis, & Williams, C. S. Kilby

Mythopoeic Society Seminar Proceedings

A brief, early history of the Inklings: their primary members, their similarities in outlook, and their basic writings.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Chum By Earl Sweatshirt: An Analysis, Oryah Brown

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

This paper is an analysis of Earl Sweatshirt's song "Chum". The record contains complex rhyming, dark themes, clever metaphors and looming instrumental. Additionally, the paper attempts to detail the rapper's unique background, career and personal struggles. Earl's impact and importance is highlighted and examined to provide further context to the song's sinister subject matter and aesthetic.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Are They Really So Bad?, Erika Johnson

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), are a highly debated topic among society today. The argument as to whether they should be used for consumption appears to lie in the crossfire of safe vs. non-safe. On one side, lie those who appear to shrivel up when the word is only mentioned. On the other, lie those who believe in the good that can come from genetically modifying foods, merely hoping to keep up with the demand of an ever-growing world. While GMOs will not feed the entirety of those hungry in the world, it is a small step towards a greater cause. …

Honor And The Code Of Silence, Michaela Sallade

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

This work is about law enforcement and the code of silence some officers that take part in it. There are three reasons behind officers following this code is due to the influence of the police academy, their fellow police officers, and the police union. Then going over how honor influences these officers becoming a part of the code of silence as well. The code of silence is a problem in the United States that is leading to officers getting away with crimes.

Fast Fashion, Honor, And The Value Of Overconsumption, Samuel J. Shoaff

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

An analysis of the implications of fast fashion in a post-industrial society, with a focus on the environmental and human costs.

The Female Slave Experience, Christopher Adams

Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

In this paper, I evaluate slavery from the perspective of female slaves to show how their experience may have been more difficult than that of male slaves. Although most slave narratives have come from the male slave’s point of view or from a male author, there may be evidence that the female point of view may be of more importance. To argue this, I use Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs and Clotel by William Wells Brown to show that the slave experience for females was more difficult than the slave experience for males due …

Generosity Of Spirit: Faith, Democracy, And Grace In Marilynne Robinson's Gilead, Elisabeth Dellarova

Research and Creativity Symposium

As my honors capstone and a culminating course for the English major, I have completed an individual study on the theme of grace and how it relates to the American experience in Marilynne Robinson’s work, specifically her three books Gilead (2004), Home (2008), and Lila (2014). The books are about the families of John Ames and Robert Boughton, who are preachers and lifelong friends living in the fictional small town of Gilead, Iowa in the 1950s. Through the books, Robinson presents her view on modern American Christianity, placing it in the context of American religious movements such as Transcendentalism, Puritanism, …

Inscribing The South For Harper's Weekly In 1866, Ashlyn Stewart

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The top weekly publication in the nineteenth-century United States, Harper’s Weekly, faced a new challenge after it had survived the Civil War: what would keep readers subscribing to the periodical in peacetime? To maintain their remarkably large readership, the editors looked southward and produced abundant content about the Reconstruction South for its primarily Northeastern readership. A noteworthy portion of that content was a series of powerful illustrated articles known as “Pictures of the South,” which ran from April to October 1866. Seasoned war correspondents Alfred R. Waud and Theodore R. Davis travelled through the rapidly rebuilding South on behalf of …

“A Lover’S Complaint”: Bad Shakespeare, Or Not Even That?, Madeline C. Duvall

Global Tides

In this essay, author Madeline Duvall argues in favor of attributing "A Lover's Complaint" to William Shakespeare. She observes the publication history and historical context of "A Lover's Complaint," as well as its metaphorical, prosodic, and thematic similarities to other works of Shakespeare, most prominently his sonnets and "The Rape of Lucrece." To make her argument, the author cites other statistical and historical studies of "A Lover's Complaint," and provides her own line-by-line analysis of the work in order to find matching words.

Breaking The Code In The Imitation Game, Taylor Zovko

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

This paper compares the ideas discussed in Derrida's paper Signature Event Context regarding the idea of the iterability of language with Alan Turing's work on decoding the Enigma as presented in the movie The Imitation Game.

Hawthorne’S Faith, Cecelia Little

English Student Scholarship

Major: English and Philosophy

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Margaret Reid, English

This project is an examination of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writings, particularly focused on Hawthorne’s identity, philosophy, and spirituality. Placing these ideas in the context of early American history as well as in the context of Hawthorne’s biography, Cecelia Little focuses on how Hawthorne offers pieces of a new and complex philosophy of the individual human soul within the human community. This powerpoint includes a structured compilation of many, but by no means all, of her findings, and she plans to delve much further into Hawthorne’s life and works. The primary focus …

Blake’S Method: Blake Imagining Milton In The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell, Micaela Freeman

English Student Scholarship

Major: English

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Bruce Graver, English

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell is William Blake’s articulation of his reaction to John Milton’s Paradise Lost. After analyzing Blake’s reaction to Paradise Lost, I will suggest how Blake’s reading of Milton helped shape 20th-century criticism, specifically post-war Miltonic criticism. My paper will begin by considering Blake’s rewriting of Milton in the ‘Argument’ of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, starting at the Adamic myth. I will continue my analysis with looking at the famous passage on Plate 6 when Blake writes, “The reason Milton wrote in fetters when he wrote …

Othello As A Domestic Tragedy: Marriage And Moral Extremism, Sophie A. Miller

Global Tides

The dehumanization of female characters in Othello by viewing them through antiquated and dichotomous views of women and female morality is a major factor in the play's tragic ending. These women exist in the context of changing marriage customs that came along with changes in government and religious structures of authority. Through Iago's influence, Othello comes to shift from the more modern companionate view of marriage into an outdated patriarchal model. The play is one of many Early Modern Dramas examining marriage but does not fit in with Patient Griselda plays or with domestic tragedies in which unfaithful wives are …

Volume 12, Haleigh James, Hannah Meyls, Hope Irvin, Megan E. Hlavaty, Samara L. Gall, Austin J. Funk, Karyn Keane, Sarah Ghali, Antonio Harvey, Andrew Jones, Rachel Hazelwood, Madison Schmitz, Marija Venta, Haley Tebo, Jeremiah Gilmer, Bridget Dunn, Benjamin Sullivan, Mckenzie Johnson

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction, Dr. Roger A. Byrne, Dean

From the Editor, Dr. Larissa "Kat" Tracy

From the Designers, Rachel English, Rachel Hanson

Immortality in the Mortal World: Otherworldly Intervention in "Lanval" and "The Wife of Bath's Tale" by Haleigh James

Analysis of Phenolic Compounds in Moroccan Olive Oils by HPLC by Hannah Meyls

Art by Hope Irvin

The Effects of Cell Phone Use on Gameplay Enjoyment and Frustration by Megan E. Hlavaty, Samara L. Gall, and Austin J. Funk

Care, No Matter What: Planned Parenthood's Use of Organizational Rhetoric to Expand its Reputation by Karyn Keane

Analysis of Petroleum Products for …

Death Is Alive In Letter Writing, Rebekah L. Smith

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

Language, according to Derrida, is a complex machine that is not just understood between two people, but between everyone.

I'M With Her. And Her. And Her., Jessica M. Garrison

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

This paper describes my experience at the Women's March on Washington in 2017 and how it has given me a new perspective.

Engl 400: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Song, "We Are The World": A Call To Change -- Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow (And A Potential Rhetorical Framework For Covid-19 Relief Efforts), Cammy Toddy

Virtual 2020 Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

On the night of January 28, 1985, the charity single song, “We Are The World,” written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, was produced in A&M Studios in Los Angeles. At the recording studio, there was a sign that said, “Check your egos at the door,” which acted as a visual reminder for why these artists were there. This idea was put in place by producer Quincy Jones, who knew he had one night to bring over 40 of the country’s biggest stars together for a cause much bigger than themselves. A rhetorical analysis of “We Are The World” reveals …

'Uncle Me No Uncle!’ Or Why Bilbo Is And Isn’T Frodo’S Uncle., Thomas Honegger

Journal of Tolkien Research

This paper investigates the nature, role and functions of Bilbo and Frodo's family relationship and the use of seemingly contradictory genealogical terminology within The Lord of the Rings.

Unnatural Disasters: Environmental Trauma And Ecofeminist/Ecowomanist Resistance In Zora Neale Hurston’S Their Eyes Were Watching God And Jesmyn Ward’S Salvage The Bones, Sarah Anne Pfitzer

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

No abstract provided.

Dear Mr. Anderson: An Open Letter To The Danish Storyteller About Craft And Style, Alexa Jones

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

An analysis of Hand Christian Anderson fairy tales and a letter to the author

"You Have Witchcraft In Your Lips": Sensory Witchcraft In Shakespeare's Antony And Cleopatra And Macbeth, Hannah Kanninen

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Scholarship on witches and witchcraft within Shakespeare’s plays has been a popular subject for many scholars. But one of Shakespeare’s most famous characters has not yet been integrated into this scholarship: Cleopatra from Antony and Cleopatra. Although scholars have often noted her “witchiness,” none have argued for an interpretation of Cleopatra as a witch. This is because traditional definitions of witchcraft have not been able to include Cleopatra. In comparison, Lady Macbeth from Macbeth has often been cited as the fourth witch in the play. But this interpretation relies upon examining Lady Macbeth’s perceived masculinity, which subsequently also makes her …

Where The Heart Is A Collection Of Nonfiction Essays On The Meaning Of Home In The Age Of Movement, Alyssa Raymond

Honors Program Theses and Projects

When I first decided to do this thesis project, I wanted to focus on travel, telling stories of my time living and traveling abroad. I wanted to write real accounts of my travels to show how ugly and difficult it could be sometimes, in hopes of showing a less romanticized and more realistic account of traveling. However, after I began writing I discovered another theme present. I found different meanings of home that I’ve held whilst traveling become a big part of the project. As I’ve learned traveling affects my own definition of home, I found it important to include …

Where The Ground Was The Enemy: Setting As A Character In The Things They Carried, Mikayla Zobeck

19th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2020)

This article examines the role of the setting in Tim O’Brien’s classic postmodern novel The Things They Carried. Based on close reading and researched analysis of the text itself, we demonstrate that O’Brien so thoroughly personifies the landscape and terrain of Vietnam that it becomes more than just the setting--it becomes a character. Moreover, the terrain becomes the principal antagonist faced by the narrator and his comrades.

Such a literary move allows the author to avoid demonizing the people, whether friend or foe, of Vietnam. After establishing our basic claim about the role of the landscape, we take our analysis …

The Inklings And King Arthur: J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Willams, C.S. Lewis, And Owen Barfield On The Matter Of Britain Ed. Sørina Higgins, Jared Lobdell

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

No abstract provided.

Editing Is Easy; Tutoring Is Hard: Helping Writers With Learning Disabilities, Mikenna Debruin

Tutor's Column

Tutors often feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar tutoring sessions. For new tutors in particular, tutoring students with learning disabilities proves to be a daunting task and may lead to panic-based tutoring decisions during sessions. Ultimately, there are two notions for tutors to keep in mind when tutoring those with learning disabilities: 1) work on what the student wants to work on in a session, and 2) don’t abandon standard tutoring practices (e.g. asking questions) simply because of panic in an unfamiliar circumstance.

Branding The Writing Center, Courtney Akagi

Tutor's Column

Brand identity affects student’s perceptions of the writing center. Referencing an article on the seven key elements of brand identity design, this article goes through a step-by-step analysis of how writing centers can create a brand to establish trust between students and tutors.

Questioning Our Questions, Makenzie Vance

Tutor's Column

A tutor’s effectiveness relies heavily on the questions they ask. Being able to properly address a student’s concerns is almost exclusively done through effective questioning. Looking into how folklorists interview provides a wealth of tactics commonly used to gather information from informants. Transitioning these tactics into tutoring can help tutors ask questions more intentionally.