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The Death Theme in Albert Camus' Plays
The purpose of this thesis is to consider Camus's use of the death metaphor and its probable meaning for him.
Eight Original Short Stories : "A Rotten Way of Life" and Others
This thesis is a creative one, comprised of eight short stories which deal with a variety of subjects. All of the material is concerned with personal or vicarious experience.
A Film Approach to English for the Slow Learner
The subject of this thesis is concerned with the organization of a course of study for slow learners in the English class using both full-length and short films to stimulate their discussion and writing.
The Literary Criticism of H. L. Mencken
The thesis of this paper is that Mencken was a better critic than he is credited with being, that he was unusually discerning in his judgment of the fiction of his time, and that his criteria are clearly stated in various of his writings. It is conceded, however, that his taste in poetry was limited and that his contribution to dramatic criticism was not? greatly significant.
Myth in Alan Sillitoe's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
The purpose of this thesis is to point out the three levels of mythic structure contained in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, a novel published in 1958 by the British novelist Alan Sillitoe. The novel has been criticized almost solely in its role as a work dealing exclusively with the English proletariat; the critics have ignored mythic content in the novel, and in doing so have missed valuable meaning and structure which each myth adds to the novel.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's Use of Witch and Devil Lore
Nathaniel Hawthorne's personal family history, his boyhood in the Salem area of New England, and his reading of works about New England's Puritan era influenced his choice of witch and Devil lore as fictional material. The witchcraft trials in Salem were evidence (in Hawthorne's interpretation) of the errors of judgment and popular belief which are ever-present in the human race. He considered the witch and Devil doctrine of the seventeenth century to be indicative of the superstition, fear, and hatred which governs the lives of men even in later centuries. From the excesses of the witch-hunt period of New England history Hawthorne felt moral lessons could be derived.
"The Passionate Struggle into Conscious Being": the Pollyanalytic Content of D. H. Lawrence's Novels
D. H. Lawrence left one of the most diverse collections of literary works ever contributed to the literature of the English language; the Lawrence canon contains a body of material which includes novels, short fiction, poetry, drama, literary criticism, travel essays, and philosophical writings. Since Lawrence is generally considered a novelist, the problem arises concerning the relationship between his novels and his other writings. In this case the concentration will be upon Lawrence's philosophical writings or what Lawrence called his pseudo-philosophy--his "pollyanalytics."
The Redemptive Woman in the Early Poetry of T. S. Eliot
This thesis attempts to describe a consistent development in the attitudes adopted toward women in the poetry of T. S. Eliot published between 1917 and 1930 and to identify certain philosophical changes which influenced this development. It suggests that a tendency toward the affirmation of an ideal woman underlies the apparently incongruous attitudes toward women in Eliot's poetry of this period. Three stages in the poet's progression toward an affirmation of an ideal woman are suggested and described.
References to Clothing in Hawthorne's Major Romances
Through a close study of Hawthorne's four major romances--The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, and The Marble Faun-—this thesis singles out all significant references to apparel or accessories and evaluates the use he makes of them.
The Relationship Between Emily Dickinson's Crisis Poems and Her Personal Tragedies
This thesis is concerned with systematically investigating the relationship between Emily Dickinson's many personal tragedies and the crisis poems which grew out of them. Its basic organization is formed by discussing specific periods of her life in each chapter.
Written Composition in the Intermediate Grades
The problem with which this study is concerned is the development of a program for teaching composition skills to children in the intermediate grades. The study is based on a survey of research, reports, books, and articles in the field, and on the teaching experience of the author. The organization of the study follows the actual steps in initiating a program for composition teaching in the intermediate grades.
Aspects of the Byronic Hero in Heathcliff
Wuthering Heights is the story of Heathcliff, a psychological study of an elemental man whose soul is torn between love and hate. The Byronic hero is the natural contact with the great heroic tradition in literature. This examination involves the consideration of the Byronic hero's relationship to the Gothic villain, the motivation behind the Byronic fatal revenge, and the phenomenon of Byronic supernatural manifestations.
Clergymen in the Life of Samuel L. Clemens
This thesis intends to point out the religious thoughts that Clemens encountered. It will present the various religious groups with which he dealt the most and the clergymen with whom he associated both casually and intimately. It will also attempt to indicate at least one reason why he never found in religion the peace which he sought.
Concepts of Failure in Edwin Arlington Robinson's Longer Poems
Critics and biographers have recognized the importance of failure and its many aspects in the life and poetry of E. A. Robinson. For a more complete idea of how Robinson dealt with concepts of failure, it is best to study the poetry itself.
Dostoyevsky and the Slavophiles
Just to what degree Dostoyevsky's thoughts paralleled those of the Slavophiles will be outlined in subsequent chapters in three major areas--Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality. Uvarov's old 1828 formula provides a simple outline in which to describe and compare the more complicated core of Dostoyevskyan and Slavophile philosophy.
English Renaissance Epithalamia
The classical genre of marriage poems called epithalamia appeared in England in the late sixteenth century. The English epithalamia of the Renaissance form a closely related body of literature. This work will be a close analysis of this small body of English Renaissance poetry.
Gavin Stevens : Faulkners's Ubiquitous Knight
In 1931 William Faulkner introduced to the scrutiny of the public eye one of his most admirable and delightful characters, and for the following three decades the history of Yoknapatawpha County was enriched and deepened by the appearance of this gentleman and man of words--Gavin Stevens. There has been no lack of critical attention given to Gavin Stevens and his role in Faulkner's stories and novels, and that criticism encompasses a variety of opinions, ranging anywhere from intelligent and sympathetic interpretation to unsympathetic rejection. With such an abundance of critical opinions and evaluations, perhaps justification for another piece of criticism on Stevens might best be stated in negative terms, in pointing out limitations in the criticism that already centers on Stevens.
The New Emergence of the Spirit : A Study of Content and Style in Hegel and George Eliot
Hegel and Eliot have been chosen for this study not because of their differences but because of similarities in their thought. Although most of Hegel's works are obscure and pedantic, it is possible to show that his early thinking reflects a deep awareness of many of the implications of the new age. A growing number of philosophers and theologians today are apparently "rediscovering" Hegel as one who caught a vision of the transition in man's history and whose insights are valuable today.
Samuel L. Clemens, Journalist
The purposes of this thesis are two-fold-: 1) in light of the information which is now available, to record accurately the events of the long newspaper career of Samuel L. Clemens; and, 2) to attempt to assess the influence of his journalistic experiences on him as a man, as an observer of humanity, as a reporter fulfilling his assignments, as a developing artist, and as a future author of books.
Symbolism, Irony, and Meaning in Selected Fiction of Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo
This approach to Unamuno does not propose to deny the fact that he was a polemicist, a poet, a teacher, and a philosopher more than he was a writer of fiction or an entertainer. What is intended is to point out to the average reader in simple terms something of the general signification and method in Unamuno's attempt at the art of prose fiction--at least as it appears in translation.
The Theory and Practice of the Sense of Immediacy in Fiction
The purpose of this essay is to examine the sense of immediacy in fiction, i.e., the sense that the story is unfolding before one's eyes; the sense that the story is happening now. What it is and how it can be achieved is discussed in relation to the author's own stories; as well dealing briefly with some more general points in regard to what fiction is and how it seeks to achieve what it attempts.
William Golding: A Process of Discovery
Golding has developed a process of discovery that takes place in the overlap of fable and fiction, which is found in almost all of Golding's works. He is writing about free will and human choice: most of Golding's characters make the wrong choices and, in so choosing, create their own isolated and fallen existences.
World War I in the Life and Poetry of Robert Graves
The purpose of this thesis is to explore in depth the effect which World War I had on the life and early poetry of Robert Graves, primarily by tracing his involvement in the war as revealed directly in his autobiography and by examining his responses to that involvement as revealed indirectly in the two volumes of poetry which he wrote during the war.
A Guide to the Teaching of Negro Literature in High School
This paper will be a survey of the major American Negro writers from pre-Civil War days to the present time. Background information concerning each major period will be given, along with information about each author and comments about the selections which are appropriate for classroom discussion. Teachers will also be given suggestions for presenting the material to class, as well as suggested questions and assignments. In conclusion, it will be shown how the literature presented can be fused into the eleventh grade course of study for the Fort Worth Public Schools.
Mythic Themes and Literary Analogues in Lowell's Prometheus Bound
The present study will be concerned primarily with an interpretation of Lowell's derivation of Prometheus Bound as he adapted that play from the Greek playwright Aeschylus' version, with a study of the development of his themes in that play, and with consideration of some of the sources upon which those themes are dependent.
The Problem of the Hero in Shakespeare's King John
This thesis is an attempt to evaluate the evidence for and against the presence of a hero in King John. As such, it is actually a search into the artistic abilities which Shakespeare exercised in this drama to determine whether he created a dramatic work of art which merits recognition for its own sake.
A Sampling of Variant Idiomaticity in Freshman Composition at North Texas State University from 1958 to 1968
"The object of this thesis is neither to uphold the sacred cows of traditionalist grammar nor to forge a way for a liberal philology. It does, however, examine "the kind of English that most people use most of the time," that is, the idiom of the language, and specifically the phrases and expressions that compose idioms."--1.
The Significance of William Blake's Poetry in Joyce Cary's The Horse's Mouth
William Blake's poetry in Cary's novel plays an integral role, and it is the purpose of this thesis to discuss the significance of Blake's poetry in The Horse's Mouth.
Stepan Trofimovitch Verhovensky: the Key to The Possessed
In the "metaphysical vacuum" of The Possessed Stepan Trofimovitch Verhovensky is symbolic of a non-productive stewardship--a father who did not father, a teacher who did not teach, and elder who did not will wisdom and tradition to the dependent younger generation. It is puzzling how little critical notice has been taken of Stepan, and it is a lonely position to find in him the key to the teeming, chaotic world of the novel, but this is the thesis which will be pursued.
The Personification of Death in Middle English Literature
This study concentrates on the personification of death in Middle English literature and examines some examples of the literature from the period.
Political Allusions in the Plays of Philip Massinger
Much of the scholarship that has been done on Philip Massinger mentions his political commentary only in passing; frequently the allusions have been used only to aid in dating the composition of the plays. There is no published work which gathers and discusses under one cover all of the political allusions in Massinger's plays. This study purports to fill this void. This investigation will enumerate and explain the meaning of all possible political allusions in Massinger's plays; it will also attempt to show the reasons why Massinger might have employed these allusions. When these purposes are fulfilled, knowledge of the plays and understanding of the playwright himself--his morality, his political affiliations, his public awareness--will be greatly increased.
Selected Poems, with a Comparison of Religious Sonnets of Donne and Hopkins
This thesis presents original poems by the author, as well as a comparison of the religious sonnets by John Donne and Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Bibliotherapy in the Junior High School
Since most teachers have little time to familiarize themselves with a variety of books, this thesis, containing annotations, is designed to acquaint them with a number of books in various areas and to give them an understanding of bibliotherapy, which is one tool of teaching that has been advanced as an aid to students for the past as well as for the future.
A Course of Study in the Use of the Dictionary
Teachers sometimes assume that their students are more skillful in the use of the dictionary than they actually are. Today's student needs thorough, formal training that is cumulative over his school years and that is based on the same linguistic principles that have raised the art of lexicography to its present high level. It is the purpose of this thesis to provide a plan for attaining these ends.
North American Indian Mythology and Folklore for Secondary School Students
Through a study of North American Indian folklore and mythology, the non-Indian can at last begin to know the Indian with whom he has shared a continent and to find out something of his religion, traditions, history, humor, and tribal peculiarities. The approach to this study through motifs, already familiar to the students from other literature, offers a practical approach and one that can be adapted to classroom use, perhaps either in the study of myth, the study of literary types, the study of literature per se, or perhaps in the study of cultural differences.
The Novels of Shirley Jackson: A Critical-Analytical Study
This study will discuss each of Shirley Jackson's six novels. The discussions will concentrate on plot, setting, theme, characterization, and style.
The Personality of John Keats as Revealed in His Letters
Through a careful and thorough analysis of Keats's observations, thoughts and feelings as expressed in his letters, the reader can gain an understanding of the poet's hopes, his fears, his ambitions, his true personality.
The Quest Motif in American Literature, 1945-1970
The last one hundred years of American literature have witnessed the development of three elemental movements: naturalism, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, represented by such authors as Stephen Crane and Theodore Dreiser; nihilism, predominant in the 1920's and 1930's, represented best by Ernest Hemmingway; and the post-World War II literature which will be called literature of the quest, represented by such authors as Saul Bellow, William Styron, Philip Roth, John Updike, and others. The first chapter will show briefly the historical development of these three movements in American literature, their distinctive features, and their relationship to American moral and social values. Chapters Two through Four will analyze in detail the three distinctive aspects of this emerging literary form--the literature of the quest. The last chapter will focus on one novel, Letting Go, by Philip Roth, as an example of this literature.
Some Innovations in an Oral Approach to Teaching English to Spanish-Speaking Students: Eighth Grade Level
The aim of this thesis is to suggest how some of the trends mentioned above may be incorporated into a program to help the eighth grade Spanish-speaking student in a predominately English-speaking school, to help the student who has not only given up the idea of getting an education himself, but is considered by his teachers "too late" to reach.
Some Practical Applications of New Language Principles
The purpose of this thesis is to encourage Texas language arts teachers to re-examine the contribution of twentieth century language scholars, not with the thought that any one grammar should be chosen to replace the traditional one now being used but with the notion that the different approaches to grammar are complementary rather than mutually exclusive, and to suggest some specific ways in which major linguistic principles may be reflected in the classroom practices of the high school English teacher.
Source Book for a Semester's Study of Language in Twelfth Grade English
While most of the current concepts about language may serve as the underlying principles of language study in all English classes, there appears to be a need in the high school curriculum for opportunity to study in concentrated manner the background and the development of the English language, as a subject of intrinsic interest and lifelong appreciation. A logical place for this type of study, offered on an elective basis, would be in one semester of the twelfth grade. Because of the scope and the depth of the study it would be considered an accelerated course. In the following chapters an attempt will be made to write a guide for such a curriculum.
Southern Protestantism in the Fiction of Flannery O'Connor
The main body of the thesis concerns itself with the beliefs and characteristics of Southern Protestantism as they appear in the fiction of Flannery O'Connor.
Stage Witches During the Reign of King James I, 1603-1625
A re-evaluation of the king's writings combined with a detailed study of these Jacobean plays provides sufficient evidence to support the main contentions of this thesis. First, it presents the proposition that the interest of James in witches and witchcraft has been misjudged and frequently either maligned or disregarded. Second, it demonstrates that the king's views on witchcraft comprise a philosophy which is consistent with the balance of his political and religious thought and action. Third, it develops the idea that certain reflections of the king's interest in witchcraft are significantly evident in specific plays written during his reign.
Teaching Standard English as a Second Language at V. L. Williams Elementary School
For some time, teaching Standard English has been a problem of major proportion at Versia L. Williams Elementary School, Fort Worth, Texas. Even casual observation shows that pupils do not grasp much of the classroom English teaching, nor do they transfer that which they do learn to other school work or daily use. The instructional program in English at the Williams Elementary School, therefore, must be supplemented to the extent that the pupils may be given the kinds of experiences in the classroom that will ultimately result in their learning Standard English in a manner that will enable them to relate the "book talk" to their own idiolects, which according to Giddings (2) everyone has. They bring to school a well-established set of habits which they will continue to use in spite of the classroom instruction, because they hold on to the teaching of their first teachers--their mothers.
Theatrical Criticism in "The Tatler" and "The Spectator"
This paper discusses the publications of the Tatler and the Spectator and their influences and criticisms of local theater, actors and audiences.
Thomas Mann's Use of Myth
The subject of Mann's early fiction is a very modern one, dealing almost exclusively with the problems of the artist in bourgeois society. His work can be divided generally into two parts: the early writings, which examine the different aspects of the dilemma of the artist and the search for a unifying myth, and the later works, which explore the "lived myth" as a way to life and art.
Two Controversial Novels in the High School
This thesis describes critically two famous controversial novels, one by an English author, the other by an American, in such a manner that an emotionally and intellectually secure teacher will be able to draw from these findings in order to teach either of these literary works confidently.
Utopia : An Idea-centered Activity for Accelerated Twelfth Grade Students
Through the ages dissatisfaction with his environment has provoked man to envision the ideal or "utopian" setting which would be more to his liking. The discontent of today's youth with the world it has inherited echoes the complaints of past generations and yet is of particular significance and relevance to the twelfth grade student soon to enter the college community where protests are becoming increasingly more articulate and effective. Established institutions and behavior codes are challenged with impunity although critics charge that such dissent is irresponsible and unsupported by positive, alternative proposals for improvement.
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