Carol Kennicott's articulation of voice in Main Street by Sinclair Lewis, 2015

Item — Call Number: MU Thesis Kab

Identifier: b7667293

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The collection consists of theses written by students enrolled in the Monmouth University graduate English program. The holdings are primarily bound print documents that were submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Master of Arts or Master of Fine Arts degrees.

From the Collection:

Students become eligible to pursue the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree if they have obtained a Master of Arts (M.A.) in English from Monmouth University and demonstrate a proficiency for creative writing through a thesis or equivalent work.

From the Collection:

After completing their 30-credit M.A. in English with a Creative Writing concentration, Monmouth’s M.F.A. students take an additional 18 credits of intensive creative writing study that includes the completion of a book-length Creative Thesis.

From the Collection:

During the fall 2022 semester (in instances where the requisite waivers were received from consenting student authors), the Monmouth University Library, together with the University's Graduate School and Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences, began providing open access to select full-text digital versions of current theses and dissertations through links to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global website in the Library's Online Public Access Catalog. Links to these open access digital publications can also be found in the "External Documents" section under any conforming titles that are listed among the holdings itemized in the collection inventory for this finding aid.

Dates

Creation: 2015

Creator

Kabir, Md. Shahriar (1986- ) (Author, Person)
Azcuy, Mary Kate (Thesis advisor, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use. Access is by appointment only.

Access to the collection is confined to the Monmouth University Library and is subject to patron policies approved by the Monmouth University Library.

Collection holdings may not be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Research appointments are scheduled by the Monmouth University Library Archives Collections Manager (723-923-4526). A minimum of three days advance notice is required to arrange a research appointment for access to the collection.

Patrons must complete a Researcher Registration Form and provide appropriate identification to gain access to the collection holdings. Copies of these documents will be kept on file at the Monmouth University Library.

Extent

1 Items (print book) : 44 pages ; 8.5 x 11.0 inches (28 cm).

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The focus of this thesis is Carol Kennicott's articulation of voice in Main Street by Sinclair Lewis. In the last two decades, Sinclair Lewis has received very limited attention from scholars. As a result, in order to bridge the gap and make Lewis's Main Street relevant in current critical debate, this project consults some prominent theorists like J.L. Austin, Judith Butler, bell hooks etc. and their respective theories on articulation. After the introductory chapter, this thesis analyzes Carol's married life against her articulation of voice. The subsequent chapter deals with the instances when Carol's voice fails her publicly. The fourth chapter, on the other hand, analyzes the major occasions in the narrative that prompt Carol to raise her voice and looks at the textual evidences behind her success. As an effect of evincing her own thoughts, Carol essentially resists and contradicts the authority of Gopher Prairie and destablizes its power status. Therefore, in the conclusion, this assessment measures Carol's articulation of voice in terms of its effects on Gopher Prairie; the discussion also assesses how the Prairie society reciprocates to Carol's articulation. Finally, this thesis makes some recommendations for further research.

Partial Contents

Introduction -- The impact of voice in Carol's life before and after her marriage -- The instances of un/successful articulation of voice -- Measuring the extent of Carol's success in terms of her articulation of voice -- Deciding a conclusion for Carol's success and/or failure -- Works cited.