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

Subjects

Grief in children; Children and death--Psychological aspects; Bereavement--Psychological aspects--Juvenile literature; Ghosts in literature; Grief in children--Study and teaching

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