CUP Undergraduate Research
Title
God is a Wolf
Date of Award
Spring 5-1-2010
Document Type
Restricted Access Thesis
College
College of Theology, Arts, & Sciences
Department
Humanities
Degree Name
English, BA
First Advisor
Dr. Kimberly Knutsen
Abstract
For my thesis I chose to write a collection of short stories. I did not begin to write with any particular idea or theme in mind. My goal was to simply write whatever came to mind and see what connections organically developed between the stories. The common theme that developed was ultimately one of identity. The characters in my stories are often in a place of transition. They are usually at a point in their life where they can no longer remain who they were, but are not sure who they are supposed to become.
With the transitions that the characters are feeling comes a tension. They must choose what their next step will be. Tensions that develop are between nature and urban, childhood and adulthood, innocence and corruption, materialism and simplicity, courage and quiet acceptance, selfishness and selflessness, loneliness and acceptance, and the absence and presence of God. The relationships the characters have with their families, friends, and coworkers heavily influences the way they deal with these tensions.
God is meant to play a key role in these stories, although this may not always be apparent. His absence is meant to be as powerful as his presence. The stories that lack any metaphor for God are the ones with the characters who are the most lost.
The choices the characters make reveal their identity. Often they are as unsure of the outcome as the reader. However, whatever the outcome, God is present in the background, like the Wolf that follows Kevin, Michael, and David in “God is an Old Man.”
Honors: Thesis with Distinction Award