Keywords

fiction, creative writing

Abstract

Jungle Zoo City People is a collection of seven short stories revolving around the central theme of family. Other recurring themes are mental health, self-esteem, violent influences, and the consumption of television and media. The three stories "Stunts," "Hypotheses," and "Comments," are linked by narrators of the same family with the intent of showing family trauma at the generational scale. Two stories, "City Date" and "Illiterate Photographer" are linked by a fantastical setting placed thousands of years in the future in a city cohabited by humans and animals. These pieces heavily rely on the imagery of animals and plants to explore themes of mental health. Particularly, "City Date" compares anxiety and low self-esteem to the state of being prey, and "Illiterate Photographer" follows a character whose mental condition serves as a hyperbolic portrayal of ADHD, trying to rediscover his place in the city's ecosystem. The story "Anthropology Paper" experiments with its form to allow its narrator to examine the value of his family's history. Similarly, "Voicemail: Re-hoarding" uses the unconventional form of a voicemail to experiment with voice and explore the value of physical possessions.

Completion Date

2024

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Kolaya, Chrissy

Degree

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

English

Degree Program

Creative Writing

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

DP0028370

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0028370

Language

English

Rights

In copyright

Release Date

5-15-2029

Length of Campus-only Access

5 years

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Campus-only Access)

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Accessibility Status

Meets minimum standards for ETDs/HUTs

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Restricted to the UCF community until 5-15-2029; it will then be open access.

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