SHERMAN-FINALTHESIS-2020.Pdf (982.7Kb)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
LEAVING WISDOM An Undergraduate Research Scholars Thesis by Zoe Sherman Submitted to the Undergraduate Research Scholars program at Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the designation as an UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SCHOLAR Approved by Research Advisor: Dr. Lowell M. White May 2020 Major: English TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 2 DEDICATION .............................................................................................................................. 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................ 5 SECTIONS I. RESEARCH QUESTION/MOTIVATION/ARTIFACT ........................................... 6 Motivation ................................................................................................................... 7 Artifact ........................................................................................................................ 8 II. LITERATURE REVIEW/BACKGROUND/HISTORY/SOURCES ...................... 10 Bridging the Gap Between Generations ................................................................... 11 The 1980s: Reflecting a Setting ................................................................................ 12 Literary Influences .................................................................................................... 14 III. EXPLANATION OF EXHIBIT/VENUE................................................................. 15 Venue ........................................................................................................................ 15 Audience Feedback ................................................................................................... 16 Excerpt ...................................................................................................................... 17 IV. REFLECTION .......................................................................................................... 18 WORKS CITED ......................................................................................................................... 21 CREATIVE ARTIFACT ............................................................................................................ 22 Chapter 1 ................................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................... 33 Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................... 45 Chapter 4 ................................................................................................................... 60 Chapter 5 ................................................................................................................... 82 Chapter 6 ................................................................................................................... 97 Chapter 7 ................................................................................................................. 117 Chapter 8 ................................................................................................................. 131 Chapter 9 ................................................................................................................. 151 Chapter 10 ............................................................................................................... 167 Chapter 11 ............................................................................................................... 188 Chapter 12 ............................................................................................................... 200 Chapter 13 ............................................................................................................... 213 1 ABSTRACT Leaving Wisdom Zoe Sherman Department of English Texas A&M University Research Advisor: Dr. Lowell White Department of English Texas A&M University Leaving Wisdom is a novella, based around historical and sociological research on New York City in the 1980s. The creative work follows seventeen-year-old Joanna Reese as she tries to make it on her own in New York City in the year 1984. This work explores themes of coming- of-age, mother-daughter relationships, and the unique cultural influence that the 1980s had on the youth during that time. In the past few years, a great deal of television and film have revisited the 1980s nostalgia, these works often overlook the true societal upheaval of the era and the way that it affected the psyche of the American teenager. Leaving Wisdom will attempt to create the most realistic recreation of the era as possible and utilize the setting to tell a moving narrative. Research for this project involves consultation of various primary historical resources such as newspapers and photographs to inform the setting of the novella. For character development and cultural reference, I have completed a review of research done in the area of the psychology of teenage runaways, mother-daughter relationships, and the effects of environment on the development of adolescents. In addition to this research, various literary works published during the 1980s and about the 1980s are being utilized as reference for the novella as a form, stylistic approaches to prose, and artistic inspiration. The decade of the 1980s is enigmatic in its difficulty 2 to be defined as an era and there are many contradicting opinions on how the decade should be remembered. Despite this, most will agree that the 1980s were incredibly influential years in the history of the United States, particularly for the youth of that era. The ripples of this influence can still be seen today in popular media. Most representation of the 1980s today lean toward nostalgia rather than fact but resonate strongly across multiple generations. The 1980s were a time of drastic societal change and by viewing a narrative of a teenage runaway through the lens of this decade, new insights into the psyche of the American teenager and the evolution of American culture can be discovered. 3 DEDICATION To my mom, who gave me her record player and her Billy Joel album; my dad, who always checks the oil in my car before I run off; and my brother, who never let me order a lame drink at a bar. 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my thesis advisor Dr. Lowell White for all his encouragement and guidance. I would not have been able to finish this work without the regular reminder to keep moving forward. Our weekly meetings were some of my favorite memories of my Senior year whether we were discussing slow-walking pedestrians, Midsommar, or my thesis. Thank you to the Aggie Creative Collective and Dr. Lowell White and Dr. Harris. Thank you also to my creative writing cohort Kyrie, John, Grace, Amy, Katie, Hannah and Rae. Learning and writing alongside you has been a joy and a privilege. I will treasure our conversations, dinners, and karaoke nights for forever. I am forever indebted to the Texas A&M University Writing Center, especially Flo Davies who was incredibly helpful in preparing my writing and in coaching me through the preparation for public presentations. Evan’s Library was my first and greatest love at Texas A&M University. I would not be who I am today, and this thesis would not be finished if it were not for the resources at Evans Library and the cozy corners which provided me with a place to camp My favorite coffee shop, source of caffeine and people-watching entertainment: Sweet Eugene’s House of Java. Had it not been for the large lattes, kind baristas, and comfortable couches, I would not have survived this process. Thank you. I will return one day to write my name on your tables, but until then I will write your name forever in the pages of this work. Finally, thank you to my mom, my dad, and my brother without whom I would never have begun writing in the first place and this thesis would never have come to exist. 5 SECTION I RESEARCH QUESTION/MOTIVATION/ARTIFACT Leaving Wisdom seeks to answer the question of how the cultural influence of a time and place can affect a young adult by exploring these factors through the eyes of an adolescent in a very distinct setting. In addition to this, Leaving Wisdom also explores the adolescent struggles that transcend time and place. Whether it is the feeling of isolation or the desire to rebel against the societal conventions of their time, there are some experiences that are common among all young people. Motivation Leaving Wisdom is motivated by the desire to address trends from the 1980’s that have come back into the popular-culture within the last ten years or so, and what this means to those of us consuming this media in the present time. In the introduction to Uncovering Stranger Things: Essays on Eighties Nostalgia, Cynicism and Innocence in the Series, Kevin Whitmore writes, “Nostalgia for the ‘80’s has been a major theme of the 21st century…Since the millennium and 9/11, American culture has called a “do over” and run straight back to the ‘80s” (Whitmore 2). Whitmore points out in his introduction, that the function of nostalgia is ultimately to seek comfort in perceived “better times”. From re-makes of 1980s blockbuster films to the reintroduction popular fashions, the Eighties are