Abstract

The intent of this thesis is to create a literary fiction collection centered on diverse adolescent girls. In recent years, women writers have moved away from the domestic sphere of authors whose writing focused solely on the daily lives of women, and have begun penning epic stories and novels whose themes were previously tackled by men alone. Authors show that the craft of expansive and immersive literary fiction transcends gender, allowing women more freedom with the types of stories they choose to write. That's not to say that domestic fiction is unimportant or "less than" other types of literary fiction, however. The difference is in choice - women are free to create works in other genres, forms, and conventions separate from domestic fiction, but can also reclaim and reinvent the genre to show the importance of everyday women. Each story in this collection highlights the complex lives of adolescent girls while exploring universal themes of women from a literary fiction rather than young adult fiction perspective. Issues such as sexuality, virginity, and popularity - which all girls experience at least tangentially - are often relegated to young adult fiction. Their purpose is to build a relationship of trust between characters and readers who are experiencing the same confusing period. Literary fiction allows deeper exploration into these issues, showing how larger psychological and societal problems result in adolescent physical manifestations, such as the sexualization and commodification of women's bodies. This thesis will add to the current literary conversation by highlighting teenage girls, a demographic whose importance is often downplayed by modern society.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2014

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Poissant, David James

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

English

Subjects

Arts and Humanities -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Humanities

Format

PDF

Identifier

CFH0004612

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

5 years

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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