Date of Award
Spring 5-1-2005
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
First Advisor
Matthew Brennan
Second Advisor
Peter Carino
Third Advisor
Doug Martin
Abstract
"The House at the Edge of the World" is a collection of narrative poems and seven short stories. The prevalent theme in the collection is the convergence of psychological space and physical place, with an emphasis on how this tension can continue or disrupt the formation of identity. l1I The narrative poems such as "Midwifing Indiana" and "Switchman" explore this theme through use of historical context, polyphonic voices, and archetypal figures. The narrative thread of the poems is extended through the concept of travel and the history that accompanies human beings as we move between intellectual and physical boundaries. The poems are also concerned with storytelling, because as we travel, we also create memories and stories that we disseminate as we move onward. The first short story in the collection, entitled "The Revolt of the Abyssinian Maid," extends the theme of identity and place by revisiting Coleridge's "Kub la Khan" from the perspective of the Coleridge household servant. Loss of identity and the result of crossed boundaries are also explored in "The Fortunate Son," the story of Rudy Ramsey, an eighteen-year-old boy with obsessive compulsive tendencies, whose inability to lie undergoes a transformation. As the title suggests, "The Doctor at the Death of Johnny Appleseed" is a story about the doctor who cared for John (Appleseed) Chapman during Chapman's final hours. Chapman's death causes the doctor to evaluate his own life as a transplanted immigrant in America.
Recommended Citation
Beasley, Darla, "The House at the Edge of the World" (2005). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3224.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/3224