Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2005 Thalhimers Department Store: Story, History, and Theory Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the English Language and Literature Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1447 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. 02005 Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt All Rights Reserved THALHIMERS DEPARTMENT STORE: STORY, HISTORY, AND THEORY A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. ELIZABETH THALHIMER SMARTT Bachelor of Arts, Wake Forest University, 1998 Directors: Dr. Catherine E.Ingrassia, Professor and Director of the MA in English, English Department Dr. James Kinney, Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, English Department Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia December. 2005 Acknowledgement First, my most profound thanks go to my husband Ryan for his tireless patience and support as I've worked on this project. So many people have provided me with significant help, including Emily Rusk, whose meticulous research on the Thalhimers story continues to amaze me, Alexandra Levit, who guided me through early drafts of this thesis, and Mom and Dad, who have always encouraged me to pursue my passion. I'd especially like to thank Dad for laying the groundwork for this project, and sparking my interest in studying Thalhimers and our family genealogy many years ago.