Date of Award:

5-2018

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Arts (MA)

Department:

English

Committee Chair(s)

Charles Waugh

Committee

Charles Waugh

Committee

Shanan Ballam

Committee

David Wall

Abstract

This is a creative thesis consisting of two short stories in the post-apocalyptic genre. A genre that highlights suffering, societal trauma, and the effects of trauma and loss on the human psyche. This genre asks the reader to be sympathetic to these extreme plights. Post-apocalyptic narratives also feature classic heroes who come out on top, despite the genre’s harrowing settings. The two stories featured in this creative thesis are an answer to my inquiry into the genre and seeks not only to show what makes post-apocalyptic literature entertaining but also worthy of literary merit.

The two short stories that constitute this body of work are “A Muddled Canvas,” and “They Have No Ears to Hear My Pleas.” The first story, “A Muddled Canvas,” asks what responsibility God, the protagonist, has to those who remain after the apocalypse he created. The story follows God as he tries to come to terms with the effects his actions have on his creations. The other story, “They Have No Ears to Hear My Pleas,” follows the life of a therapist turned apathetic to his clients’ issues because of the apocalypse. After so much time spent helping others, he develops a bad case of compassion fatigue.

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