Judith: The Example of True Faith
Judith: The Example of True Faith is my undergraduate thesis that exemplifies my knowledge of research, lexical analysis, critical interpretation, and producing a logically-constructed argument.
"The Old English Judith was a perfect narrative to represent to the audience what true faith in the Lord looked like and how to wield the virtues that are developed with it to defeat the evils in their lives. By using a traditionally heroic narrative, the poet integrated the Christian lifestyle into terms the audience could understand and apply to their lives. Even though the Old English Judith necessarily touches on gender, the main point of the narrative, based on the lexical study presented here, is to create a multidimensional character, able to be appropriated by an audience wanting to learn how to live a life devoted to the Lord in a culturally-relevant narrative that the could easily understand."
The King's Need for His La Niña
"The King's Need for His La Niña" is a demonstration of my revision skills on an essay I wrote junior year of college and revised my senior year. By hovering over different points in the essay, you can see my revisions and thought process.
The King’s mentality of women and need to control his household as the sole breadwinner is reflective of the mindset of men during the time when the play was set. The Red Devil Battery Sign was written to reflect the time period of changes politically and privately in the household that were occurring in the late 1960s and seventies . The King’s mentality of needing control is evident of men during this time in the South. Women’s roles in the household were becoming more progressive with more women becoming breadwinners in the household. According the International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family, cohabitation also became more prominent and accepted starting in the 1970s (Ponzetti). Tennessee Williams is reflecting the loss of masculine control that fathers have over their daughters’ lives and choices through the King’s character. It is reflected in the King’s use of the Woman Downtown to maintain his false reality by personifying his daughter, La Niña, onto her. Men, especially in the South, have an issue with change, which is a common theme throughout Southern literature. The King’s character in William’s play shows the extent that men will go to to stop change from happening, especially within their households. Williams’ use of the King’s character to reflect the decline of men’s control over their household and the means they will go though to preserve it is another reason why Red Devil Battery Sign should be read and discussed by scholars in the Southern literature sphere.
Who Will Run the Frog Hospital
"Who Will Run the Frog Hospital" is a systematic analysis to answer the question of why Berie's mom is unaffectionate towards her children. Who Will Run the Frog Hospital is a memory book that encompasses Berie's experiences as a child that leads to her understanding as an adult.
"Throughout reading Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?, one of the aspects I noticed was the uniqueness of Berie and her mom’s relationship. Berie and her mother are very surface level, and their conversations are about discipline or awkward encounters about Berie’s body or her lack of focus with the family. This is a very unusual mother-daughter relationship, and I wanted to know why. Because of this, my question became, “Why is Berie’s mom unaffectionate towards her children?” Based on my evidence, the answer is that Berie’s mom is unaffectionate with her children because she is depressed due to loneliness and the unwanted pressure of upholding the appearance and duties of a well-behaved Baptist wife and mom."
Shannon and Nonno: The Present and Future Worries of Tennessee Williams
"Shannon and Nonno: The Present and Future Worries of Tennessee Williams" is my recent essay written in a 400 level English class that showcases my analysis of the play Night of the Iguana based on Tennessee William's biography.
"The Night of the Iguana is an autobiographical play that conveys Tenessee Williams' feelings in the present and his fears as he ages. Williams uses the defrocked Reverend Shannon, who is trying to find his purpose and who God is, to convey and discuss his thoughts on God, his feelings of entrapment, and his shame he feels towards his desire for men. Williams in turn uses Nonno, Hanna’s grandfather and pet, to convey his fears as he ages. Williams uses Nonno to discuss the fear of obscurity, mediocrity, becoming senile and dependent on another person, and death, with or without God. The Night of the Iguana is an autobiographical work by Williams used to express his feelings in the present and his fears for the future."
TED Talk
Click the photo to learn why the Old English Judith is still applicable in our Southern Christian culture today.