Literary Theory

John Bell, Fall 2007 John Keats’ poem “The Eve of St. Agnes” reads like a fairy tale. Its plot centers upon the legend that a young lady will meet her future husband if she performs a ritual on the eve of the feast day of St. Agnes. In the poem, the central figure, Madeline, actually… Read more John Bell, “Born to Run: A Feminist Reading of ‘The Eve of St. Agnes,’” 1st Place ENL 259

Kimberlei Taylor, Fall 2009 D. H. Lawrence’s “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter” has been the source of extensive critical focus and is viewed as a story of resurrection. In “D. H. Lawrence and Tradition: ‘The Horse Dealer’s Daughter,’” Jeffrey Meyer focuses on the religious and the sexual implications in the text and he notes that other… Read more Kimberlei Taylor, “Patriarchal Gender Roles,” 1st Place ENL 259

Jess Andersson, Fall 2009 Tim O’Brien’s short story, later turned novel, The Things They Carried, embodies the hardships and sentiments of wartime soldiers. The piece offers binary oppositions through the interplay between Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his fantasized lover Martha. The ideologies of heterosexual love, shown through intimacy, separation, fantasy, and reality, are presented and… Read more Jess Andersson, “Love, War, and Undecidability: Deconstructing ‘The Things They Carried,’” 1st Place ENL 259

Kelsey Jacobsen,  Spring 2008 When analyzing Leslie M. Silko’s “Yellow Woman” through a Post Colonial lens, one must acknowledge that there is much controversy over whether or not the Native Americans were officially colonized. In this case, I have used Tyson’s definition of colonization, which says “any population that has been subjected to political domination… Read more Kelsey Jacobsen, “The Other Native American Identity,” 2nd Place ENL 259

Kristen Hall, Spring 2010 According to NAACP activist Kenneth B. Clark, “Racial segregation, like all other forms of cruelty and tyranny, debases all human beings-those who are its victims, those who victimize, and in quite subtle ways those who are mere accessories” (Massey, xi). This quote epitomizes the conflict in James Alan McPherson’s short story,… Read more Kristen Hall, “Breaking the Habit: Renouncing Selfish Motives in Favor of Justice,” 2nd Place ENL 259

Emily Wingate, Spring 2008 John Steinbeck’s short story “The Chrysanthemums” centers on Eliza and her relationship with her husband Henry. Critic Gregory Palmerino brings light to their relationship issues. He argues: “everywhere there is conflict in “The Chrysanthemums”, but nowhere is there a fight. This absence of friction prevents Henry and Elisa’s relationship from progressing,… Read more Emily Wingate, “Elisa’s Unhappiness in ‘The Chrysanthemums,’” 3rd Place ENL 259

Hannah Tool, Fall 2009 Depression era America left no family unscathed. The harsh economic conditions coupled with rigid social norms meant that both fathers and mothers felt a separate yet equally compelling desire to provide for their families like never before. Traditional gender roles dictate a father to provide the financial support for the family… Read more Hannah Tool, “Tillie Olsen’s ‘I Stand Here Ironing,’” 3rd Place ENL 259

Crystal Blomquist, Fall 2009 The writings of James Baldwin often explore the concept of identity within the African American community, and his short story “Sonny’s Blues” is no exception. The story depicts the struggle of two brothers in discovering their own identities. The two live in a racially segregated world, and like many other African… Read more Sonny and His Blues – ENL 259: Critical Methods: Theory and Practice