Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

English

First Advisor

Keith Byerman

Second Advisor

Mathew Brennan

Third Advisor

Renee Ramsey

Abstract

The Last Kiss. a creative thesis. tries to explore if true love and moral values. through the main character Sweetie, can lead to an individual's satisfaction and happiness in the real world. Also it focuses on the friendship between two contrasting characters, Sweetie and Flirtie. The title takes its name from the real first and last kiss that Sweetie gives to her lover, Dennis, before her tragic end. When Sweetie is pursuing her Ph.D. program, she meets Dennis, a professor who teaches English, and who is twenty years older than she. She is gradually attracted to him and assumes that he is her Mr.Right. She loves him intensely, and when her feelings for him are deep and firmly rooted like a banyan tree, she comes to know that he is married and has three children. After that she finds it very difficult to give up her love and is faced with a serious conflict between her love and her conscience. Often when faced with dilemmas, she is unable to act and sinks into painful contemplations that tear her apart mentally and physically. On several occasions, Sweetie is persuaded by her closest friend, and her mother, who try to hook her up with a man, but she is very obstinate with her love for Dennis. Sweetie, who feels that she shouldn't be responsible for destroying another woman's life turns down Dennis' marriage proposal . Sweetie's obsession continues and she lives in dreams and hopes. Sometimes she even wishes for some divine miracles to happen and when faced with desperation she questions her fate. She by choice leads a lV melancholic life. This coupled with her rare cardiac disease leads to her tragic end, which is very saddening to her friend. The function of the character Flirtie is to create a distinction. Unlike Sweetie, she is a character who is wild and seeks out pleasures and contentment through different possible ways. She is not careworn, and enjoyment is her ultimate goal. She feels that there is no such thing as pure or constant love, and human beings are prone to fall in love many times. Although it is very hard to deal with situations when someone rejects her, she is very soon able to flirt with another person, and experience teaches her that time will take care of the wounds in her heart. Though Flirtie and Sweetie are characters wide apart, they are still very good friends who share their personal experiences and care for each other. The Last Kiss, is divided into five chapters, and several traditional narrative techniques are used to unfold the story. There is an omniscient narration along with frequent dialogues and occasional monologues.

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