Date of Award
Spring 5-2015
Degree Type
Thesis-Restricted
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Program
English
Department
English
Major Professor
Easterlin, Nancy
Second Advisor
Steeby, Elizabeth
Third Advisor
Farrin, J. Scott
Abstract
Using concepts of cognitive evolutionary theory, the author explores how narrative storytelling manifests itself in Denis Johnson's novella Train Dreams. The novella form is also discussed, focusing on its manipulation of linear time, its naturalization of supernatural elements, and its deconstruction of dichotomous relationships. Utilizing the novella's distinct structural and thematic elements, Johnson's text shows the myth of American expansionism and industrial progress and that of Kootenai holism in collision, resulting in a narrative renegotiation that seeks to affirm coexistence and complexity.
Recommended Citation
Ngo, Chinh, "A Fire Stronger than God: Myth-making and the Novella Form in Denis Johnson's Train Dreams" (2015). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 1982.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1982
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.