The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fogler Library 2001 Cora Mark Dunn University of Maine - Main Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Dunn, Mark, "Cora" (2001). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 45. http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/45 This Open-Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. CORA BY Mark Dunn B.A. Ohio Wesleyan University, 1997 A THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (in English) The Graduate School The University of Maine May, 2001 Advisory Committee: Elaine Ford, Professor of English, Advisor Naomi Jacobs, Professor of English Pat Burnes, Associate Professor of English 03001 Mark Dunn All Rights Resewed .. 11 By Mark Dunn Thesis Advisor: Elaine Ford An Abstract of the Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (in English) May, 2001 As a novel, Cora operates in the genre of the thriller and harkens to the novels of Dean Koontz, Owl Goingback, and John Saul. It is a tightly told tale meant to make the reader read and then read some more, and the main objective is entertainment. The title character of the novel, Cora, is a beautiful sixteen- year old girl from southern California. When her family is attacked by a razor-wielding psychopath in a parking garage in Beverly Hills, she alone escapes, but something has changed for both Cora and the killer, linking the two in ways neither immediately understands. Deeply in shock after witnessing the massacre of her family, Cora is sent to an island off the coast of Maine, where her grandfather heads a psychiatric clinic devoted the study of catatonia. As Dr. Cole Johnstone and his one-time love interest, Dr. Sarah Delacort, struggle to help the comatose girl, it quickly becomes evident that they are also running a race against time, because something is hunting the girl in her dreams, something that won't stop until Cora is dead. Cora is a novel of suspense with elements of the horrific. Much of it takes the form of a chase, and there is the omnipresent feeling that time is ticking down, that things are quickly coming to a head, and that when they finally do, something terrible is going to happen. It is also, however, a book centered around its characters, a diverse cast all looking for something different. As the two main characters of the novel, Sarah Delacort and Dr. Cole Johnstone drive the narrative along through their attempts to help Cora. But they are also rediscovering themselves and each other; Cole and Sarah were once seriously involved but haven't spoken in years, and both have undergone drastic changes since last they met. Cole is struggling to deal with the death of his young son, and Sarah is trying to piece back together a life torn apart by her unique gift. Most of the novel's horrific elements come from Luis Argento, the cop who killed Cora's family and who is fixated on killing her next. During his trek across the country he leaves a trail of bodies in his wake, unable to control the violent impulses constantly thrumming through his body. Like most novels of horror and suspense, Cora ends with the bad guy getting his comeuppance. DEDICATION Mark Dunn dedicates Cora to his wife, Florence Patricia Farricker-Dunn. Not all heroines live in fiction. ... 111 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Mark Dunn is thankful beyond words to Robert Flanagan, Director of Creative Writing at Ohio Wesleyan University, and Elaine Ford, Professor of English at the University of Maine, for all of their help, time, and encouragement. Mark would like to thank Robert Flanagan in particular for his support over the years. Mark might never have had the courage to pursue his dreams without the support of this wonderful teacher and friend. Mark would like to thank his parents, Sear1 and Elizabeth Dunn, for never doubting him. Without the unbounded faith and trust of those two selfless people, Mark might never have followed his heart, or felt that doing so was even an option. Above all, Mark would like to extend his most profound gratitude to his wife, Florence, for all of her support, faith, and love. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ... DED ICAT ION ........................................................................................................................................................ .. ..... 111 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................................................. iv INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1............................................................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2............................................................................................................................................................ 18 Chapter 3............................................................................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 4.................................................................................................................................................................. 45 Chapter 5. ................................................................................................................................................................. 47 Chapter 6................................................. ".............................................................................................................. 60 Chapter 7................................................................................................................................................................. 73 Chapter 8....................................................................................... .. ......................................................................... 77 Chapter 9...................................................................................................................... ........................................ 85 Chapter 10.............................................................................................................................................................. 92 Chapter 11............................................................................................................................................................. 93 Chapter 12 .............................................................................................................................................................. 102 Chapter 13......................................................................................................................... .. ................................... 109 Chapter 14 ........................................................................................... "................................................................. 113 Chapter 15.............................................................................................................................................................. 123 Chapter 16 .............................................................................................................................................................. 126 V Chapter 17.............................................................................................................................................................. 133 Chapter 18............................................................................................................................................................... 136 Chapter 19............................................................................................................................................................... 143 Chapter 20............................................................................................................................................................... 150 Chapter 21 .............................................................................................................................................................. 153 Chapter 22............................................................................................................................................................... 163 Chapter 23............................................................................................................................................................... 168 Chapter 24 ............................................................................................................................................................... 175 Chapter 25 .............................................................................................................................................................. 181 Chapter 26 ............................................................................................................................................................... 190 Chapter 27 ..............................................................................................................................................................