Creative thesis manuscript : 'O Father', 2021

Item — Call Number: MU Thesis Bar

Identifier: b7930347

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: 2021

Creator

Barthelme, Lisa M. (Lisa Marie) (1994- ) (Author, Person)
Graedon, Alena (Thesis advisor, Person)

Language of Materials

From the Collection:

Unless noted otherwise at the resource component level, the language of the collection materials is English.

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) : 78 pages ; 8.5 x 11.0 inches (28 cm).

Additional Description

Critical Introduction [excerpt]

My manuscript, O Father, is a project that explores the intersectionality of religion, race, and gender in a post-apocalyptic North America, one that thas been transformed into a toxic theocracy. As a piece of speculative fiction, this project utilizes elements of the fatastical, and it shares commonalities with both classic dystopian literature such as 1984 by George Orwell and modern dystopian literature such as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. These qualities of dystopias such as government control, mass poverty, and propaganda provide a foundation to discuss modern America's social, economic, political, and religious issues and structures in a post-apocalyptic setting filled with literal and figuative demons that humanity must confront. Lilith, as the main character, is at the center of a moral and critical conflict in two ways: as an original character and as a namesake for the religious figure of the Bible. Her struggle in the narrative as a character is designed to correlate with the biblical Lilith who struggles between God and damanation.

This project began as a young adult supernatural romance in Summer 2020 during a creative writing seminar in the Monmouth MA program....

The thesis presented here is the first seven chapters of a novel-length piece, one that will be comprised of twelve more subsequent chapters.