1 UNIVERSITY of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA JOE C. JACKSON COLLEGE of GRADUATE STUDIES & RESEARCH Edmond, Oklahoma HATCH a THESIS SUBMI
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by SHAREOK repository UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA JOE C. JACKSON COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES & RESEARCH Edmond, Oklahoma HATCH A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH WITH CREATIVE WRITING EMPHASIS By MELONIE HAU Edmond, Oklahoma 2008 1 NAME: Melonie Hau TITLE OF THESIS: Hatch DIRECTOR OF THESIS: Dr. Constance Squires PAGES: 251 ABSTRACT: Hatch is a novel which examines the struggles of urbanization, drug addiction, alienation from community, and shame which threaten a rural Oklahoma family. The Metzers live on a farm in Hatch, a town formed in the 1890s from the enthusiasm and idealism of Land Run pioneers and German immigrants. The story juxtaposes traditional rural life with contemporary issues such as adultery, addiction, and race and illustrates how characters resist their insulated environment. Told alternately from the points of view of three characters, Gloria Metzer, Ben Metzer, and their son, Thomas Metzer, the work follows each character’s decisions as each is tested emotionally and spiritually. Gloria, Ben, and Thomas must learn to honor their own power in making choices for their lives. Issues of spirituality immerge as each character faces moral and ethical dilemmas based on their choices. Set in intense heat of a drought-ridden summer, the novel utilizes a sense of history and place in order to highlight the struggles of each character. 2 3 Introduction I set out to write a novel about Oklahoma that does not drip with homespun cliché and language.
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