Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons English Theses & Dissertations English Spring 2011 Memory, Identity, and the Rhetoric of Quilts J. Jane Amelon Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/english_etds Part of the Rhetoric Commons Recommended Citation Amelon, J. J.. "Memory, Identity, and the Rhetoric of Quilts" (2011). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), dissertation, English, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/3gwm-rg16 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/english_etds/50 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the English at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in English Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MEMORY, IDENTITY, AND THE RHETORIC OF QUILTS by J. Jane Amelon B.S. December 1973, University of Missouri M.A. December 1988, Old Dominion University A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ENGLISH OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY May 2011 Approved by: David D. Metzger (Director) Joyc^ L. Neff (Menfb^r) Virginia L. Gunn (Member) UMI Number: 3458594 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT Dissertation Publishing UMI 3458594 Copyright 2011 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ABSTRACT MEMORY, IDENTITY, AND THE RHETORIC OF QUILTS J. Jane Amelon Old Dominion University, 2011 Director: Dr. David D. Metzger Quilts have been documented as artifacts of past experiences and social circumstances, but the rhetorical aspects have been largely unexplored. In this study, I establish quilting as a form of knowledge about memory, one of the canons of rhetoric. This task requires a rhetorical framework of memory to accomplish its end. In order to create a rhetorical framework for the study of memory, I examine preservative and generative memory as represented in women's quilts. Previous quilt studies have not addressed these two facets of memory, and previous memory studies have paid little or no attention to quilts. Additionally, this study will link memory to identity. The dominant term discovered through Kenneth Burke's pentadic analysis for identity will also be linked to memory study. Thus, this study links the concepts of memory and identity together and establishes quilts as an artifact for rhetorical study. In particular, this study demonstrates how the distinctive nature of memory generates new memories, preserves captured memories, and provides a powerful conceptual tool for the study of identity through quilts. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My name appears on the cover of this dissertation; however, a great many have contributed to its production. I owe my gratitude to all who have made this dissertation possible and because of whom my dream was realized. The Academic Team that patiently guided me was led by Dr David Metzger, and my utmost and sincere appreciation goes to him. I was very fortunate to have an advisor who would patiently guide me when I faltered. Dr Joyce Neff was always positive and so thorough. Dr Virginia Gunn's insightful comments aided me immensely. There were other people at the university that I would like to acknowledge. The first group of cohorts for the English PhD program kept me sharp. Lisa Dunbar always got me in to see Dr Metzger. The librarians helped immensely with interlibrary loans and research-oriented questions that I would create at the last minute. The women that allowed me to interview them need to be acknowledged as well. Marsha Weinstein provided guidance as well as inspiration. Laurel Horton guided me through a writing crisis. Elle Ryan shared a great deal with me, so that I could accomplish this task. And Shelly Zygert opened her home to me and shared. Thank you. Many friends have helped me stay the course. Particularly I would like to acknowledge the Tidewater Quilters' Guild and The Bee. Their support helped me realize I could complete this dream. Most importantly, none of this would have been possible without the love and patience of my family. My husband, Rick Amelon, offered the best support any spouse could ever have received. My daughters, Mariah and Sarah, and their families, Ethan and iv Amelon and Tad and Trip, sacrificed a great deal of "Gigi" time so this goal could be accomplished. My mother, Jimmie Fox, provided unquestioning support. To the women who have gone before me.. .thank you for the inspiration. And last, sitting by my feet, offering unconditional love while I worked were some very special friends. No matter the situation, no matter how sad I became, no matter how frustrated I was, these friends were invariably there with kisses and endearing looks. Thank you Daryl, Brokie, Wawa, Hunter, Diesel, Freckles, and Autumn. V TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. LITERATURE REVIEW 10 MEMORY 11 IDENTITY 29 QUILTS 56 III. METHODOLOGY 77 KENNETH BURKE'S DRAMATISTIC THEORY AND PENTADIC METHOD 77 RATIONALE 80 A PENTADIC APPROACH TO QUILT STUDY 90 IV. PARKINSON'S DISEASE QUILT 103 A DESCRIPTION OF THE P.D. Q 104 IDENTIFICATION OF THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF THE PENTAD IN THE P.D.Q 106 PENTADIC RATIOS LEADING TO THE DOMINANT TERM ..122 PHILOSOPHY ASSOCIATED WITH DOMINANT TERM AND RELATED TO IDENTIFICATION 128 THE DETERMINATION OF PRESERVATIVE OR GENERATIVE MEMORY 132 SYNTHESIS 135 V. BATTERED OFFENDERS SELF-HELP PRISON QUILT 144 A DESCRIPTION OF THE B.O.S.H. PRISON QUILT 144 IDENTIFICATION OF THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF THE PENTAD IN THE B.O.S.H. PRISON QUILT 146 PENTADIC RATIOS LEADING TO THE DOMINANT TERM ..175 PHILOSOPHY ASSOCIATED WITH DOMINANT TERM AND RELATED TO IDENTIFICATION 183 THE DETERMINATION OF PRESERVATIVE OR GENERATIVE MEMORY 187 SYNTHESIS 187 VI. CONCLUSION 194 AN AFTERWORD 202 WORKS CITED 203 vi VITA 224 vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1: Legend for Preservation View of Memory & Lackey's Memory Formula 20 2: Chart for Pentadic Ratios 94 3: Chart for Pentadic Ratio indicating Scene 95 4: Pentadic Element Chart for Ratios 122 5: P.D.Q. Pentadic Chart with First Line Configured 125 6: P.D.Q. Pentadic Chart with Second Line Configured 126 7: P.D.Q. Pentadic Chart with Third Line Configured 127 8: P.D.Q. Completed Pentadic Chart 127 9: P.D.Q. Dominant Pentadic Element 128 10: B.O.S.H. Prison Quilt Pentadic Elements 175 11: B.O.S.H. Prison Quilt Pentadic Chart to Indicate Ratios 176 12: B.O.S.H. Prison Quilt Pentadic Chart with First Line Configured 179 13: B.O.S.H. Prison Quilt Pentadic Chart with Second Line Configured 180 14: B.O.S.H. Prison Quilt Pentadic Chart with Third Line Configured 181 15: B.O.S.H. Prison Quilt Pentadic Chart with Fourth Line Configured 182 16: B.O.S.H. Prison Quilt Completed Ratios 182 17: B.O.S.H. Prison Quilt Dominant Pentadic Element 183 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1: Memory, identity, and the quilt are the three aspects of my literature review ....11 2: The renaming of the two types of memory 12 3: A Photograph of the P.D.Q 105 4: A Photograph of the B.O.S.H. Prison Quilt 145 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Quilts have been documented as artifacts of past experiences and social circumstances, but the rhetorical aspects of quilts have been largely unexplored. In this study, I establish quilting as a form of knowledge about memory, one of the canons of rhetoric. This task requires a rhetorical framework of memory to accomplish its end. In order to create a rhetorical framework for the study of memory, I examine preservative and generative memory as represented in quilts. Previous quilt studies have not addressed these two facets of memory, and previous memory studies have paid little or no attention to quilts. This study links the concepts of memory and identity together and establishes quilts as an artifact for a rhetorical canon. In particular, this study demonstrates how the distinctive nature of memory generates new memories, preserves captured memories, and provides a powerful conceptual tool for the study of identity through quilts. Differentiating between generative and preservative memories gives insight into women rhetors' individual identities and their motivations in quilt creation. In this first chapter, I will share a personal narrative that relates how a quilter might draw on memories as an epistemic resource for identity construction. It is hoped that this personal narrative will deepen, if not counteract, the abstract character of rhetorical theorization—showing how memories might serve as materials for identity construction and how identities are themselves repurposed in the act of remembering. At the end of this chapter, I explain the structure of my study: the subsequent chapters, their contents and functions. First, I present my story of the 2002 Cruise Quilt. On June 20, 2002, Mariah Amelon, my daughter with my husband, Rick Amelon, made her first U.S. Navy deployment aboard the U.S.S. George Washington while attached to VAW-125. VAW- 125 is a squadron of E-2 Hawkeye aircraft. Her mission while in the North Arabian Sea was to support Operation Southern Watch (This operation was to monitor and control airspace over the 32nd parallel in Iran.) and Operation Enduring Freedom (This operation was essentially the war in Afghanistan.).