Date of Award
5-1-2013
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
English
First Advisor
Fox, Robert
Abstract
This thesis is an exploration of the type of protagonist that tends to appear in a particular sub-genre, a scholar who behaves in the role of the hero. It tries to serve as a wide-ranging analysis of the sub-genre as a whole, including multiple mediums, but pays particular attention to the texts A Canticle for Leibowtiz and Oryx and Crake. The thesis also addresses the cultural work performed by post-apocalyptic fiction, and contends that the sub-genre serves as a way of questioning what is considered valuable within a culture, and why.
Access
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