Keywords
Coming-of-age, relationships, self-discovery, affluent society, contemporary issues
Abstract
Bistro Girls is an interconnected collection of short stories focusing on characters whose lives intertwine in the affluent Floridian town of Bellamy Park. In "Bistro Girls of Bellamy Park," a senior at a privileged college struggles to confront an old friend who has slipped into addiction. In "Bobby Blues," two women's stifling situations with live-in boyfriends give way to a small hope as Valerie casts aside her illusions and leaves to find a new apartment, temporarily freeing herself from the pattern of relying on a man. In these stories people wrestle with flawed concepts of personal identity that create outward limitations in their interactions with those they care about most. In "Disconnect," an eccentric millionaire struggles with spirituality and a romance spoiled by his inability to find satisfaction. In "The Coffee Shop," the emotionally removed Don leaves Valerie in the inevitable position to find contentment through self-reliance. Through trial and error, the obstacles of insecurity and disillusionment can at times be overcome. In "Scout's Honor," a young woman marries under the spell of fateful disillusionment, with tragic results. An annulment is the catalyst for her maturity, yet the road before her promises to be a long, painful one. As the characters come closer to acceptance of the imperfections and possibilities in themselves and the world around them, there is almost always some hope, no matter how difficult the means to get there.
Notes
If this is your thesis or dissertation, and want to learn how to access it or for more information about readership statistics, contact us at STARS@ucf.edu
Graduation Date
2005
Semester
Fall
Advisor
Rushin, Pat
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
English
Degree Program
English
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0000745
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0000745
Language
English
Release Date
January 2015
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Masters Thesis (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Blakeslee, Vanessa, "Bistro Girls" (2005). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4457.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4457