Keywords
ghosts; parental death; children; childhood grief; supernatural; childhood mourning
Abstract
This thesis explores the grieving process of a child, 6-year-old Maple, in a fictional way. As Maple attempts to carry on with daily life, such as attending first grade, after the death of her father, she experiences supernatural visions that cause her to consider what life and, consequently, death is. She also contends with her mother’s unwillingness to tell Maple why her father is dead, since her mother believes that keeping Maple shielded from the full truth is the best course of action. Maple struggles with sleeping issues, reoccurring dreams of her father, depression, lack of interest in formerly exciting activities, and the hallucinations. Through school, grief counseling, and life at home with her newly widowed mother, Maple often questions what really happened to her father and if she can still have a connection with him even though he’s gone, since she’s not old enough to grasp the permanence of death.
Thesis Completion Year
2024
Thesis Completion Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair
Chrissy Kolaya
College
College of Arts and Humanities
Department
English
Thesis Discipline
Creative Writing
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Ruffo, Krista B., "Guns Can't Kill Ghosts" (2024). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 6.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/6