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Title: Augustinian virtue in the Dickensian world: the role of Christian friendship in the conversion of souls and the move toward the Heavenly City.
Creator: Kriegel, Jill A., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: The novels of Charles Dickens resonate with ancient and Christian moral messages: From plots and characters representative of Victorian ideals and concerns emerge themes that reflect centuries of moral, and, as I argue, specifically Augustinian, teaching. While the Christian overtones of Charles Dickens's novels are seldom denied, their Augustinian nature, their purpose, and Dickens's hopes for their effect are rarely given their proper due. In opposition to the postmodern idea of an...
Show moreThe novels of Charles Dickens resonate with ancient and Christian moral messages: From plots and characters representative of Victorian ideals and concerns emerge themes that reflect centuries of moral, and, as I argue, specifically Augustinian, teaching. While the Christian overtones of Charles Dickens's novels are seldom denied, their Augustinian nature, their purpose, and Dickens's hopes for their effect are rarely given their proper due. In opposition to the postmodern idea of an increasing nihilism and despair in Dickens's message, I examine instead his steadfast fascination with and joy in the power of charitable friendships-friendships that embody goodness and the possibility for conversion, friendships that are especially noteworthy amid the societal darkness ushered in by the crises of faith that accompanied nineteenth-century industrialization, commercialization, and de-moralization. Preparing to highlight the undeniable moral value in both the rejected and realized friendships and conversions of Dickens's Martin Chuzzlewit, Bleak House, and Great Expectations, first I focus on true friendship as a necessary part of a soul's ascent developed in Plato's Symposium and Phaedrus, as well as in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, illustrating how these classical texts anticipate the Augustinian notion of a soul's transformation from the earthly city to the city of God. With this literary continuum thus established, I contend that the Heavenly City as it is reflected in the Dickensian world relies on its virtuous citizens, those true friends who consistently manifest Christian charity, humility, and forgiveness.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2683142
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Christianity in literature, Criticism and interpretation, Religion in literature, Criticism and interpretation, Friendship in literature, Criticism and interpretation, Soul, Christianity
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Beethoven: his nine symphonies and their influence on the development of the orchestra.
Creator: Padua, Daniel., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Music
Abstract/Description: Beethoven is widely considered to be one of the most influential composers of all time. His compositions denote a crucial turning point in the history of western music, and his influence can be discussed in numerous ways - musically, technically, theoretically and even philosophically. This treatise discusses one of the primary aspects of Beethoven's influence on later generations: the way that his symphonies contributed to the expansion of the genre and, consequently, to the development of...
Show moreBeethoven is widely considered to be one of the most influential composers of all time. His compositions denote a crucial turning point in the history of western music, and his influence can be discussed in numerous ways - musically, technically, theoretically and even philosophically. This treatise discusses one of the primary aspects of Beethoven's influence on later generations: the way that his symphonies contributed to the expansion of the genre and, consequently, to the development of the orchestra. Included is a detailed analysis of his nine symphonies, an overview of his personal life, and an exploration of the historical, social, and political time in which he lived. This thesis collects and examines relevant documents in order to inquire about and better understand the changes and innovations that transformed the standard orchestra of the eighteenth century, opening the doors to the symphonic music of the Romantic Era.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2978945
Subject Headings: Influence, Criticism and interpretation, Performance practice (Music), History, Music, Philosophy and aesthetics, Instrumentation and orchestration, History, Arrangement (Music), History
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Bar splendor: Francesco Meriano e la (ri)illuminizaione delle parole in libertáa.
Creator: Patel, Erin., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Languages, Linguistics and Comparative Literature
Abstract/Description: This thesis focuses on the translation of parole in libertáa, an early twentieth century poetic styling that combines a visual and written code proposed by F.T. Marinetti, the founder of Futurism, the Italian avant-garde literary and artistic movement. A translation of 5 "tavole parolibere" from the collection Equatore Notturno, parole in libertáa (1916) by the relatively unknown poet Francesco Meriano will lay the groundwork for the analysis of the obstacles a translator faces in regards to...
Show moreThis thesis focuses on the translation of parole in libertáa, an early twentieth century poetic styling that combines a visual and written code proposed by F.T. Marinetti, the founder of Futurism, the Italian avant-garde literary and artistic movement. A translation of 5 "tavole parolibere" from the collection Equatore Notturno, parole in libertáa (1916) by the relatively unknown poet Francesco Meriano will lay the groundwork for the analysis of the obstacles a translator faces in regards to maintaining the faithfulness to the original while keeping in mind the rules Marinetti set forth in his manifestos on literature and poetry between 1909 and 1914. Meriano adhered to many of these Futurist literary conditions, and thus the translartor's task becomes more challengind as the rules dictate the style, content and form so uniquely interwoven within these pages. The aim of this thesis in not only to shine a new light upon Meriano through the English translation of some of his poems, but also to readdress translation theories with regards to parole in libertáa.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358752
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Futurism (Art), Futurism (Literary movement), Graphic design (Typography)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Atrave(s) and fronte(i)ras: la traducciâon del Portuguâes al Espaînol de la novella Brasilîena Adeus, Rio Doce.
Creator: Bandeira de Mello, Clarisse., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Languages, Linguistics and Comparative Literature
Abstract/Description: The translation of Geny Vilas-Novas' novel Adeus, Rio Doce emphasizes the importance of promoting a literary exchange between Brazil and the Spanish-speaking world. This study analyses contemporary Brazilian literature and situates the author in the post-modern literary movement, stressing two post-colonial fundamental themes: emigration and feminine literature. Millions of undocumented emigrants from Latin America live nowadays in the United States displaced in the American society and leave...
Show moreThe translation of Geny Vilas-Novas' novel Adeus, Rio Doce emphasizes the importance of promoting a literary exchange between Brazil and the Spanish-speaking world. This study analyses contemporary Brazilian literature and situates the author in the post-modern literary movement, stressing two post-colonial fundamental themes: emigration and feminine literature. Millions of undocumented emigrants from Latin America live nowadays in the United States displaced in the American society and leave suffering family members abandoned in their native countries. One of the roles of Latin- American women writers like Vilas-Novas is to reveal and denounce the subaltern conditions of this emigration movement in the globalization process, under the unusual perspective of those left behind. The linguistic and semantic challenges and difficulties faced during translation are a metaphor for the crossing of linguistic, cultural, social, and historical borders by Latin-Americans in search of better life opportunities.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/186336
Subject Headings: Brazilian fiction, Translations into English, Brazilian literature, Criticism and interpretation, Postmodernism (Literature), Feminism and literature, Criticism and interpretation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Author-ity, privilege and violation: the role of subaltern and the intellectual in the novels of Julia Alvarez.
Creator: Alonso, Raquel., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: Can the subaltern really speak? Invoking Gayatri Spivak's post-colonial theory on the subaltern, this study aims to highlight the necessary, yet problematic relationship between intellectuals and the marginalized groups they seek to represent. This study argues that in the last chapter of Julia Alvarez's How the Garcâia Girls Lost Their Accents, the image of the wailing cat becomes a haunting image regarding Alvarez's own subject-position as a writer, a role that often places her in the...
Show moreCan the subaltern really speak? Invoking Gayatri Spivak's post-colonial theory on the subaltern, this study aims to highlight the necessary, yet problematic relationship between intellectuals and the marginalized groups they seek to represent. This study argues that in the last chapter of Julia Alvarez's How the Garcâia Girls Lost Their Accents, the image of the wailing cat becomes a haunting image regarding Alvarez's own subject-position as a writer, a role that often places her in the center of harsh criticism. Consequently, this project traces the subaltern figures through three of Alvarez's texts -¡YO!, In the Time of the Butterflies, and Saving the World - in order to reveal the paradox that defines their relationship with the privileged body that seeks to be their representative. The subaltern cannot speak beyond the margins without the help of the elite; however, the same position of privilege and power that enables the intellectual to write can quickly become the factor that discredits their right to speak. Consequently, this study also attempts to reclaim the voice of Julia Alvarez, who is herself silenced and thus, rendered subaltern in the literary market by critics who feel that her privileged position complicates her ability to represent the collective.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2867330
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Marginality, Social
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Building a character: a somaesthetics approach to Comedias and women of the stage.
Creator: Cruz Peterson, Elizabeth Marie., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Languages, Linguistics and Comparative Literature
Abstract/Description: This dissertation focuses on the elements of performance that contribute to the actress's development of somatic practices. By mastering the art of articulation and vocalization, by transforming their bodies and their environment, these actors created their own agency. The female actors lived the life of the characters they portrayed, which were full of multicultural models from various social and economic classes. Somaesthetics, as a focus of sensory-aesthetic appreciation and somatic...
Show moreThis dissertation focuses on the elements of performance that contribute to the actress's development of somatic practices. By mastering the art of articulation and vocalization, by transforming their bodies and their environment, these actors created their own agency. The female actors lived the life of the characters they portrayed, which were full of multicultural models from various social and economic classes. Somaesthetics, as a focus of sensory-aesthetic appreciation and somatic awareness, provides a pragmatic approach to understanding the unique way in which the woman of the early modern Spanish stage, while dedicating herself to the art of acting, challenged the negative cultural and social constructs imposed on her. Drawing from early modern plays and treatises on the precepts and practices of the acting process, I use somaesthetics to shed light on how the actor might have prepared for a role in a comedia, selfconsciously cultivating her body in order to meet the challenges of the stage.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3360968
Subject Headings: Women in the performing arts, Criticism and interpretation, Comic, The, Criticism and interpretation, European drama, Criticism and interpretation, Feminist drama, Criticism and interpretation, Spanish drama, Criticism and interpretation, Aesthetics, Physiological aspects, Body, Human (Philosophy), Mind and body
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Charles Finney's The Circus of Dr. Lao: an epistemological fantasy.
Creator: Creed, Daniel B., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: Charles Finney's The Circus of Dr. Lao, published in 1936, has been widely read in the last eighty years and has influenced significant authors in the field of fantasy, yet it has been examined in just three critical studies in that time. This study examines Finney's novel as an epistemological fantasy, a heretofore undefined term that precipitates an epistemological crisis of knowing and certainty. The novel opens a way for fantasy literature to establish itself in a Modernist landscape by...
Show moreCharles Finney's The Circus of Dr. Lao, published in 1936, has been widely read in the last eighty years and has influenced significant authors in the field of fantasy, yet it has been examined in just three critical studies in that time. This study examines Finney's novel as an epistemological fantasy, a heretofore undefined term that precipitates an epistemological crisis of knowing and certainty. The novel opens a way for fantasy literature to establish itself in a Modernist landscape by foregrounding the marvelous and extraordinary knowledge that lies just outside the realm of human experience. Finney presents Dr. Lao's circus as a surrogate model of success, and while many of the characters in the novel are unable to accept the truth offered them by the beings of fantasy, the author uses their experiences to satirize the complacencies he witnessed upon returning to America from the Far East in the 1930s.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2683122
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Symbolism in literature, Knowledge, Theory of, in literature, Fantasy fiction, American, Criticism and interpretation, Postmodernism (Literature)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Constituting community: expanding perceptions of community in Rawlings's Cross Creek and Thoreau's Walden.
Creator: Curran, Julianne., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: Both Thoreau and Rawlings call attention to humanity's need to expand its perceptions and interpretations of what it means to be a part of a community in Walden and Cross Creek, respectively. Building on the established idea of what it means to be incorporated into a human community, each author also implores his or her readers to extend the perceived boundaries of what comprises a "community" to include the natural world. Ultimately, both texts point to the need for the establishment of what...
Show moreBoth Thoreau and Rawlings call attention to humanity's need to expand its perceptions and interpretations of what it means to be a part of a community in Walden and Cross Creek, respectively. Building on the established idea of what it means to be incorporated into a human community, each author also implores his or her readers to extend the perceived boundaries of what comprises a "community" to include the natural world. Ultimately, both texts point to the need for the establishment of what Aldo Leopold calls a land ethic, which requires the re-drawing of communal boundaries to include the land with man as a citizen rather than a conqueror of Nature. Thoreau and Rawlings demonstrate how an individual can start to expand his or her conception of community to move closer to Leopold's ideal by recounting the different experiences they have with human society and nature while living at Walden Pond and in Cross Creek, Florida. However, each author uses different approaches. Thoreau concentrates primarily on reflecting upon improving his individual self in order to eventually improve his Concord community. Rawlings, on the other hand, makes a greater effort to reflect upon her interactions with the people of Cross Creek in addition to her interactions with Nature in order to strengthen her bonds with these things. Such a difference causes Rawlings to be read as presenting a re-vision of Thoreau's ideas about the relationship between humankind, one's community, and Nature. While the kinds of experiences Thoreau and Rawlings encounter might be different, in the end it is their emphasis on the importance of an individual's relationship to the community-one that includes both humans and Nature-that resonates with readers.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2683121
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Symbolism in literature, National characteristics, American, in literature, Nature, Effect of human beings on
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Existential consciousness, redemption, and Buddhist allusions in the work of Saul Bellow.
Creator: Durbeej, Jerry K., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: Within the past two centuries, massive industrialization, technological and scientific advances, wars, diseases, failures in social systems, and religious, ethnic, and political conflicts have produced an existential angst that has saturated the collective consciousness of modern man. The atrocities of World Wars I and II induced European and American authors and artists to confront this state of disillusionment, anxiety, loneliness, fear, and dread; consequently, much of our modern...
Show moreWithin the past two centuries, massive industrialization, technological and scientific advances, wars, diseases, failures in social systems, and religious, ethnic, and political conflicts have produced an existential angst that has saturated the collective consciousness of modern man. The atrocities of World Wars I and II induced European and American authors and artists to confront this state of disillusionment, anxiety, loneliness, fear, and dread; consequently, much of our modern literature reflects this nihilistic darkness. In this state of grave doubts and uncertainties, the modern man finds himself alienated and disconnected from the very essences that ground him. Scholars of literature, philosophy, and the various arts and social sciences, having examined this contemporary dilemma, find just cause to question our western belief that science, technology, and materialism put the world in order. The further indictment is that these rational and materialistic forces have usurped the place of God and dismantled the ancient mythologies that once grounded our existence. This study examines the selected work of Saul Bellow and argues that his recurring themes of suffering, compassion, humanity, and renewal of the human spirit are antithetical to this collective existential angst. My argument introduces the doctrine of Existentialism and then explores the basic existentialist theory of Jean-Paul Sartre. From this platform, I later establish that Bellow takes a stand against this collective nihilism in favor of community and the celebration of life that are defined by a moral framework. Bellow's most representative novel in this vein of existential dislocation is Dangling Man., From this novel, I argue that there is an inherent flaw in the notion that man's essential existence can only be defined through his agency as an individual, and that man, not God, is ultimately responsible for his actions and destiny. This pursuit of existence based on personal freedom and intellectual synthesis is prone to failure; Bellow's point of view is that the existentialist, having disconnected himself from God and community, plunges into an abyss fraught with angst and turmoil. Bellow's theme of humanity instructs that our redemption lies not in our personal quest, but in our absorption and participation in a community framed by moral precepts and the respect for God. Finally, and from another angle and through Bellow's Herzog, I establish a connection to Buddhism. From these Buddhist allusions, I further affirm that the quest for authentic existence and redemption demands a confrontation with our angst and an acknowledgement of our suffering.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/1870695
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Existentialsim in literature, Symbolism in literature, Buddhism and literature
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Diagnosing modernity: Walker Percy's The Moviegoer as more than a southern Sickness Unto Death.
Creator: Salgado, Bryan., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: The work of physician-turned-writer Walker Percy marks an important development in the history of Southern literature. The author's first novel, The Moviegoer, moves beyond previous consideration of what it meant to be a native of the region by capturing the mindset of modernity rooted in the philosophical movement of existentialism. Embracing the work of S²ren Kierkegaard allows Percy to articulate how his protagonist, Binx Bolling, moves towards a sense of purpose in life. Previously adrift...
Show moreThe work of physician-turned-writer Walker Percy marks an important development in the history of Southern literature. The author's first novel, The Moviegoer, moves beyond previous consideration of what it meant to be a native of the region by capturing the mindset of modernity rooted in the philosophical movement of existentialism. Embracing the work of S²ren Kierkegaard allows Percy to articulate how his protagonist, Binx Bolling, moves towards a sense of purpose in life. Previously adrift due to the contending forces present in the modern mind, the author indicates how an existentially active individual can achieve a sense of direction through the work of not only Kierkegaard, but also Gabriel Marcel. There are certain phenomena present in the text that allow one to temporarily achieve some sense of solace within an inscrutably secularized existence. However, Percy indicates that the modern individual must ultimately find significance through an intersubjective engagement with another.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3340697
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Philosophy in literature, Dialectic in literature, Intersubjectivity in literature, Existentialism in literature
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Drawing desires performance: dominance and submission in Will Eisner's The Spirit and Alan Moore's Watchmen.
Creator: Furlong, Michael., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: This thesis discusses the relationship between classic comic books and BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism.) Will Eisner's The Spirit is used to discuss sexuality and power in comics, with special attention paid to Eisner's "The Kissing Caper." The Eisner chapter explores the relationship between sadomasochism, film noir, gender dynamics and comics. Using Judith Butler, Fredric Wertham and Theodor Reik, the gender politics of The Spirit are discussed. Women's changing roles in the...
Show moreThis thesis discusses the relationship between classic comic books and BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism.) Will Eisner's The Spirit is used to discuss sexuality and power in comics, with special attention paid to Eisner's "The Kissing Caper." The Eisner chapter explores the relationship between sadomasochism, film noir, gender dynamics and comics. Using Judith Butler, Fredric Wertham and Theodor Reik, the gender politics of The Spirit are discussed. Women's changing roles in the post-World War II American workplace are linked to Eisner's BDSM themes in The Spirit from the character's origin story to the 1950s. In examining Alan Moore's Watchmen, the paper focuses on transactional power dynamics and how BDSM rituals are enacted in modern American comics. American power relationships in politics are used as a comparison and contrast to BDSM dynamics in Watchmen. Samuel R. Delany, William Moulton Marston and Pat Califia are used as theorists within the discussion of power exchanges in Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore's graphic novel. The consensual fantasy element to this power relationship is demonstrated as the underlying dynamic of the act, and not as actual punishment or nonconsensual sadism.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3332180
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Comic books, strips, etc, History and criticism, Erotic literature, History and criticism
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Divine alchemy in Paradise Lost.
Creator: Rutherford, Andrea J., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: This study examines the themes of alchemy and transformation in Paradise Lost and seventeenth-century thought. Beginning with an overvieiw of the historical roots of alchemy, this study analyzes the ancient, underlying philosophical concepts that marital union produces the birth of the soul and that destruction is necessary for this birth. Alchemical references identified in Paradise Lost include animal lore and direct alchemical images, which demonstrate Milton's knowledge of alchemy and his...
Show moreThis study examines the themes of alchemy and transformation in Paradise Lost and seventeenth-century thought. Beginning with an overvieiw of the historical roots of alchemy, this study analyzes the ancient, underlying philosophical concepts that marital union produces the birth of the soul and that destruction is necessary for this birth. Alchemical references identified in Paradise Lost include animal lore and direct alchemical images, which demonstrate Milton's knowledge of alchemy and his deliberate use of the alchemical metaphor. These themes support the proposal that Milton, a Christian humanist, uses alchemy as a metaphor described in this study as "divine alchemy," which begins with his belief that Christians, inheriting original sin, must submit themselves to a transformative process similar to transmutation to restore right reason and, ultimately, achieve salvation.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358963
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Influence, Knowledge, Science, Symbolism in literature, Science in literature, Literature and science, History
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: " Feasting with panthers": unstable sexual identity and the pedagogic Eros in the Divine Comedy.
Creator: Morris, Albert., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study is to analyze the problem posed by homosexuality in Dante's Commedia. I look at several topics and questions : A) What are the implications of homosexuality in regards to both justice in the polis and to divine justice in the next world? B) What are the poetics of queer variance? C) What are the oedipal issues surrounding the Dantean father-figures VIrgil, Brunetto Latini, and other males? D) What is the role of the pedagogic Eros in promoting a strong national bond...
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to analyze the problem posed by homosexuality in Dante's Commedia. I look at several topics and questions : A) What are the implications of homosexuality in regards to both justice in the polis and to divine justice in the next world? B) What are the poetics of queer variance? C) What are the oedipal issues surrounding the Dantean father-figures VIrgil, Brunetto Latini, and other males? D) What is the role of the pedagogic Eros in promoting a strong national bond and social ethos? E) Where does Dante situate "sodomites" (and, by extension, what role does desire play) in the schemata of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, and why is this important? All of these questions are interrelated and have a bearing on Dante's notion of the good society and divine justice.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358756
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Homosexuliaty, History, Love in literature, Criticism and interpretation, Desire in literature, Criticism and interpretation, Mind and body in literature
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Fight for education, fight for freedom: from object to subject in freedom narratives.
Creator: Messinger, Samantha., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: The three novels examined in this thesis do not deal with the subject of slavery directly; however, I argue that, much like slave narratives, they all depict oppressive master/slave relationships and feature protagonists who fight for freedom through literacy and/or education. This thesis outlines three contemporary novels that take place during or after the Civil Rights Movement, what I call "freedom narratives," that not only signify on, but pay tribute to, the slave and neo-slave narrative...
Show moreThe three novels examined in this thesis do not deal with the subject of slavery directly; however, I argue that, much like slave narratives, they all depict oppressive master/slave relationships and feature protagonists who fight for freedom through literacy and/or education. This thesis outlines three contemporary novels that take place during or after the Civil Rights Movement, what I call "freedom narratives," that not only signify on, but pay tribute to, the slave and neo-slave narrative tradition. These novels borrow from the tradition, not only in terms of structure, but also in terms of plot, point of view, theme, and resolution. Additionally, through the novels, one can see how the trauma of slavery in America permeates contemporary American homes, both White and Black. This thesis focuses on PUSH by Sapphire, The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips, and Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison to illustrate the significance and the impact of the traditional slave narrative and the trauma of slavery on contemporary novels and American people.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342241
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Slavery in literature, Symbolism in literature, African American women novelists, Criticism and interpretation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Fearing the youth: economic turmoil, adult anxiety and the Japanese Battle Royale controversy.
Creator: Pagel, Caren., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: In December 2000, Japanese lawmakers took unprecedented steps to ban Fukasaku Kinji's Battle Royale from theaters prior to its scheduled release. The film was deemed "crude and tasteless" for its portrayal of teen violence in a state run game of kill or be-killed and attempts to ban the film were pursued through the film certification process all the way to the floor of Japanese parliament. This thesis investigates the controversy surrounding the release of Battle Royale and the socioeconomic...
Show moreIn December 2000, Japanese lawmakers took unprecedented steps to ban Fukasaku Kinji's Battle Royale from theaters prior to its scheduled release. The film was deemed "crude and tasteless" for its portrayal of teen violence in a state run game of kill or be-killed and attempts to ban the film were pursued through the film certification process all the way to the floor of Japanese parliament. This thesis investigates the controversy surrounding the release of Battle Royale and the socioeconomic and cultural factors - in particular, the Japanese recession and widening generation gap of the 1990s - that influenced both the film's message and the extraordinary political reaction in Japan. This thesis argues that the objections to the film were not based solely on the violent content as is often reported, but rather were the combination of adult economic and cultural anxiety regarding themselves and the youth, the anti-authority message of the film that encouraged the youth to reject adult systems, and a political campaign that exploited the adult fears by using Battle Royale as a scapegoat for youth problems.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3172429
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Influence, Motion pictures, Censorship, Violence in motion pictures, Sensationalism in motion pictures, Politics and government, Social life and customs
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Dissipating hostility through feminine rhetorical style: Barbara Bush and the petitioners of Wellesley College.
Creator: Doran, Bethany Lynne., Gorbacheva, Raisa Maksimovna, Wellesley College, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: This study uses Karlyn Campbell's concept of feminine rhetorical style as a theoretical framework for analyzing the rhetoric of Barbara Bush's 1990 Wellesley College commencement address. Through a systematic evaluation of Barbara Bush's speech, this study reveals that her rhetoric exemplifies feminine rhetorical style. The analysis also concludes that Barbara Bush's personal tone, specifically her use of narrative and humor, is the most useful and effective characteristic of her feminine...
Show moreThis study uses Karlyn Campbell's concept of feminine rhetorical style as a theoretical framework for analyzing the rhetoric of Barbara Bush's 1990 Wellesley College commencement address. Through a systematic evaluation of Barbara Bush's speech, this study reveals that her rhetoric exemplifies feminine rhetorical style. The analysis also concludes that Barbara Bush's personal tone, specifically her use of narrative and humor, is the most useful and effective characteristic of her feminine rhetorical style. Using feminine rhetorical style, Barbara Bush successfully dissipates some of the tension she faced prior to the graduation ceremony at Wellesley College. Therefore, this study reveals that feminine rhetorical style is an attractive alternative for speakers seeking to build identification in hostile situations when identification is, or appears to be, lacking.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2100573
Subject Headings: Influence, Criticism and interpretation, Feminist theory, Narration (Rhetoric), Psychological aspects, Persuasion (Rhetoric)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Edward Gorey's illustrations of misshapen children.
Creator: McGlothlin, Kristin L., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: Twentieth century American illustrator Edward Gorey's pen and ink drawings subvert traditional images of children ; his images represent the tenets of disability theory, cuteness, and whiteness in relation to child figures in children's literature. Inspecting Gorey's illustrations provides insight into traditional images of children, and emphasizes how his portraits represent children as disabled figures. I examine four books containing Gorey's illustrations for literary and aesthetic...
Show moreTwentieth century American illustrator Edward Gorey's pen and ink drawings subvert traditional images of children ; his images represent the tenets of disability theory, cuteness, and whiteness in relation to child figures in children's literature. Inspecting Gorey's illustrations provides insight into traditional images of children, and emphasizes how his portraits represent children as disabled figures. I examine four books containing Gorey's illustrations for literary and aesthetic analysis. In The Doubtful Guest, a boy deals with psychological challenges ; in The Beastly Baby and The Shrinking of Treehorn, both the infant and Treehorn live with disabled bodies; The Gashlycrumb Tinies displays aspects of psychological, physical, and positional disabilities through alphabetized portraits of girls and boys. This thesis connects disability theory, cuteness, and whiteness to children's literature to address pervasive, predetermined images of children in Western literature and questions the larger issue of whether the elements comprising adult interpretations of child-images can harm real children.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3360956
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Edith Wharton: self-actualization through characterization in The Age of Innocence.
Creator: Feuerberg, Betty., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: Edith Wharton uses characterization in the primary three characters in The Age of Innocence to explore the aspects of her life. Early adulthood is represented by May Welland Archer, who was born into New York 400, where society suppressed an individual's emotions, aspirations, and freedoms. The intermediate phase of her life is depicted in Newland Archer, who tests the confining limits of the society to which he belongs and strives to understand the role of emotions in achieving personal...
Show moreEdith Wharton uses characterization in the primary three characters in The Age of Innocence to explore the aspects of her life. Early adulthood is represented by May Welland Archer, who was born into New York 400, where society suppressed an individual's emotions, aspirations, and freedoms. The intermediate phase of her life is depicted in Newland Archer, who tests the confining limits of the society to which he belongs and strives to understand the role of emotions in achieving personal satisfaction. Wharton rejected and craved the ties of the New York 400 in the final phase of her life as portrayed in Ellen Olenska who left the 400, lived in Europe, and returned to New York. By developing these characters, Wharton attempts to retrospectively reconcile the transformations she experienced. Indeed, it will be clear that Wharton's work serves as a personal assessment of her self-actualization.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3360784
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Women and literature, History, Feminism in literature
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Earth, water, and black bodies: elements at work in Toni Morrison's literary landscape.
Creator: Anderson, Pauline P., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: This project focuses on the natural elements earth and water as presented in the works of African American author Toni Morrison. The primary texts analyzed are Sula, Song of Solomon, and Beloved. In the first two novels, Morrison alludes to the abuse of black bodies by drawing parallels between the destruction of trees and the negative effects of urbanization. I argue that environmental destruction and urbanization parallels the disenfranchisement and killing of black bodies. Water in Beloved...
Show moreThis project focuses on the natural elements earth and water as presented in the works of African American author Toni Morrison. The primary texts analyzed are Sula, Song of Solomon, and Beloved. In the first two novels, Morrison alludes to the abuse of black bodies by drawing parallels between the destruction of trees and the negative effects of urbanization. I argue that environmental destruction and urbanization parallels the disenfranchisement and killing of black bodies. Water in Beloved connotes bondage because of its historical link to the Triangular Trade. However, considering Morrison's frequent mention of water and the fugitives' constant need to drink, I argue that ingesting water symbolizes a need for psychological freedom. All of the novels that I have analyzed emphasize the complex connections between African Americans and nature.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3356892
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, African Americans in literature, African American philosophy, Human ecology in literature, Nature in literature, Ecocriticism
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Emily Dickinson: the language of a spiritually periipheral perspective.
Creator: Gallagher, Linda Pergolizzi., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: Emily Dickinson was a poet who existed at the center of her nineteenth-century United States culture and yet wrote from a periphery located at the edge of her being. Integral to understanding her poetry is a contextual awareness of her spiritual struggle. The experience of cultural marginalization and the way it informs art through a peripheral perspective has been the focus of examination in much of modern and post-modern literary studies where attention is given as much to an author's...
Show moreEmily Dickinson was a poet who existed at the center of her nineteenth-century United States culture and yet wrote from a periphery located at the edge of her being. Integral to understanding her poetry is a contextual awareness of her spiritual struggle. The experience of cultural marginalization and the way it informs art through a peripheral perspective has been the focus of examination in much of modern and post-modern literary studies where attention is given as much to an author's cultural station as to his or her artistic creation. A close study of Emily Dickinson's poetry reveals a spiritually marginalized perspective which closely resembles the structural framework of cultural marginalization. While there are areas of Dickinson's poetic perspective where these two experiences merge, my examination of Dickinson concentrates on her personal spiritual liminality in her relationship with God as expressed in the context of her poetry and letters.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/47851
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Spirituality, Spiritual life in literature, Belief and doubt in literature
Format: Document (PDF)

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