Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1990

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

English

Major Professor

Jon M. White

Abstract

This manuscript consists of thirteen short stories, varying in length and in point of view, which are divided into four general categories. The first section, "The Initiates," deals with a particular character's initiation or realization. Each story in this section focuses on a young person who, through the course of the story, comes to some realization about life and is thereby initiated into life. The second section, "Kith and Kin," focuses either on the importance of the family as an institution or on individual members and concerns within families. The third section, "Keeping the Faith," is concerned with doubt, faith, and perseverance, not only in religion, but also in life. "An Aside," the final section, symbolizes the author's growth in writing and the directions her writing may take in the future through a short, experimental story. The author concentrates on the individual characters in the stories and their expression through their particular voices. Influenced by Southern literature and its themes, the author attempts to address the issues of family and to characterize some regional concerns. Though the stories are by no means entirely autobiographical, certain aspects are gleaned from the author's own experiences as she tries to "write what she knows." This manuscript attempts to portray the stories' characters in such a way as to allow the reader to participate in the experiences. The author created the stories in order to give a voice to personal concerns and emotions, in hopes that the individual characters may speak to the universal human experience.

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