Material Information |
| Title: |
Who Am I? Exploring Family and Identity in Contemporary American Fiction |
| Physical Description: |
Book |
| Language: |
English |
| Creator: |
Castillo, Maximina J. |
| Publisher: |
New College of Florida |
| Place of Publication: |
Sarasota, Fla. |
| Creation Date: |
2010 |
| Publication Date: |
2010 |
Subjects |
| Subjects / Keywords: |
Family
Identity
History
Sexual Abuse
Personality
Fiction
American
Contemporary |
| Genre: |
bibliography ( marcgt )
theses ( marcgt )
government publication (state, provincial, terriorial, dependent) ( marcgt )
born-digital ( sobekcm )
Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Notes |
| Abstract: |
This thesis explores literary representations of family and the struggle for identity in contemporary American fiction. Characters find �personality options� within their families, but must also try to seek more positive models in the wider world. Focusing on six novels, the thesis deals with the process of developing a sense of self, the ways in which family identity creates a foundation, the limitations for each character, alternative models of identity outside the family, and what this process ultimately yields for the character. The first chapter, on Dorothy Allison�s Bastard Out of Carolina (1992), considers the uncertainty of self that a young girl experiences as a member of a �white trash� family who has been sexually abused by her stepfather. The second chapter investigates the relationship between Jane Smiley�s A Thousand Acres (1991) and Toni Morrison�s The Bluest Eye (1970), in terms of their narration and the ways in which two key female characters deal with their marginalized positions within their families. In the final chapter, I discuss the problematic relationship between personal identity and an identity that is closely tied to a larger family history, as represented in Eudora Welty�s Losing Battles (1970), David Bradley�s The Chaneysville Incident (1981) and Russell Banks�s Cloudsplitter (1998). |
| Statement of Responsibility: |
by Maximina J. Castillo |
| Thesis: |
Thesis (B.A.) -- New College of Florida, 2010 |
| Electronic Access: |
RESTRICTED TO NCF STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY, AND ON-CAMPUS USE |
| Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references. |
| Source of Description: |
This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law. |
| Local: |
Faculty Sponsor: Dimino, Andrea |
Record Information |
| Source Institution: |
New College of Florida |
| Holding Location: |
New College of Florida |
| Rights Management: |
Applicable rights reserved. |
| Classification: |
local - S.T. 2010 C35 |
| System ID: |
NCFE004233:00001 |
|
Material Information |
| Title: |
Who Am I? Exploring Family and Identity in Contemporary American Fiction |
| Physical Description: |
Book |
| Language: |
English |
| Creator: |
Castillo, Maximina J. |
| Publisher: |
New College of Florida |
| Place of Publication: |
Sarasota, Fla. |
| Creation Date: |
2010 |
| Publication Date: |
2010 |
Subjects |
| Subjects / Keywords: |
Family
Identity
History
Sexual Abuse
Personality
Fiction
American
Contemporary |
| Genre: |
bibliography ( marcgt )
theses ( marcgt )
government publication (state, provincial, terriorial, dependent) ( marcgt )
born-digital ( sobekcm )
Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Notes |
| Abstract: |
This thesis explores literary representations of family and the struggle for identity in contemporary American fiction. Characters find �personality options� within their families, but must also try to seek more positive models in the wider world. Focusing on six novels, the thesis deals with the process of developing a sense of self, the ways in which family identity creates a foundation, the limitations for each character, alternative models of identity outside the family, and what this process ultimately yields for the character. The first chapter, on Dorothy Allison�s Bastard Out of Carolina (1992), considers the uncertainty of self that a young girl experiences as a member of a �white trash� family who has been sexually abused by her stepfather. The second chapter investigates the relationship between Jane Smiley�s A Thousand Acres (1991) and Toni Morrison�s The Bluest Eye (1970), in terms of their narration and the ways in which two key female characters deal with their marginalized positions within their families. In the final chapter, I discuss the problematic relationship between personal identity and an identity that is closely tied to a larger family history, as represented in Eudora Welty�s Losing Battles (1970), David Bradley�s The Chaneysville Incident (1981) and Russell Banks�s Cloudsplitter (1998). |
| Statement of Responsibility: |
by Maximina J. Castillo |
| Thesis: |
Thesis (B.A.) -- New College of Florida, 2010 |
| Electronic Access: |
RESTRICTED TO NCF STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY, AND ON-CAMPUS USE |
| Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references. |
| Source of Description: |
This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law. |
| Local: |
Faculty Sponsor: Dimino, Andrea |
Record Information |
| Source Institution: |
New College of Florida |
| Holding Location: |
New College of Florida |
| Rights Management: |
Applicable rights reserved. |
| Classification: |
local - S.T. 2010 C35 |
| System ID: |
NCFE004233:00001 |
|