Date
2-3-2023
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Chair
Justin Keith Morgan
Keywords
protagonist, minority, folklore, fantastical, fiction
Disciplines
Creative Writing
Recommended Citation
Grayson, Breanna Renae, "Unheard Voices: Minority Female Presence in Fiction Including Folklore and Fantastical Elements" (2023). Masters Theses. 970.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/970
Abstract
This thesis is about the representation of women and racial minorities and the incorporation of folklore and fantastical elements in contemporary American short fiction. This incorporation includes the characterization of nonwhite characters in fiction and the role they serve. Also, the main idea is to provide an explanation concerning the importance and relationship it has for minority female writers and readers. The Artistic Statement defines the author’s reasons, inspirations, and creative process for her choices in creative writing. The Critical Paper is supported by research and data to describe the use of fantastical elements and how they are implemented into her short fiction. The body chapters provide examples of the author’s short fiction and published authors who give voices to the underrepresented minority women characters. Three original pieces of short fiction will be followed by comparisons and analyses that contextualize the author’s work with other similar fiction.
