CUP Undergraduate Research
Title
Rae
Date of Award
Spring 4-1-2016
Document Type
Restricted Access Thesis
College
College of Theology, Arts, & Sciences
Department
Humanities
Degree Name
English, BA
First Advisor
Dr. Kimberly Knutsen
Abstract
Rae is a memoir as told through a collection of vignettes. The narrative circles issues of anxiety and the process of self-discovery. The stories are memories organized by issue. The memoir’s non-linear, topic-based organization draws connections between individual moments and follows the author’s attempt to come to terms with familial expectations and her own anxiety. The vignettes emphasize the differences by using the ordinary nature of the titles to convey the common experience of a spiritual journey and the author’s attempt to find her identity as a child and an adult. The writing process and product are the organic journey of the author and the recognition and self-acceptance that came as a result.