Love and Repair

Abstract

When a woman is hurt in a relationship, she may engage in different behaviors to deal with this pain. She may seclude herself, convinced her wiles will bring the man back. She may become detached and run from man to man without second thought. She may shut men off completely and run to females for solace. Or she may rid herself of what caused her pain to begin with. These are some of the possibilities I explore in this thesis - a collection of fiction and poetry from a female perspective that examines a woman's position in a romantic relationship. These characters have been hurt in the past and thus have different ways of coping. Despite their vulnerability, they intentionally put themselves in degrading situations in the hope that they will find a genuine connection. Because they have lowered their standards, they assume they will have an easier time finding someone. They know they are in the wrong places, but ignore that notion to achieve the connection they are looking for, often using sex to achieve that goal. While I make no claims to explain these women's mentalities, I do attempt to show different sides of such women as they struggle through such relationships.

Each of these characters wants the same thing from these relationships, flawed or no: love. They merely have different ways of pursuing that goal. It isn't until they realize they've been looking in the wrong places that they begin to analyze themselves and discover who they are.

This collection shows how these women move through the progression of their relationships until the point of fracture, when they are forced to make certain decisions. Finally, the relationships fall apart, and the stories and poems show how each character deals with the loss.

Notes

This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your thesis or dissertation, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by downloading and filling out the Internet Distribution Consent Agreement. You may also contact the project coordinator Kerri Bottorff for more information.

Thesis Completion

2004

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Lamazares, Ivonne

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

English

Degree Program

Creative Writing

Subjects

Arts and Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Sciences; Man woman relationships -- Poetry; Short stories

Format

Print

Identifier

DP0021853

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS