Date of Award

5-2022

Degree Type

Creative Project

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

English

Committee Chair(s)

Benjamin Gunsberg

Committee

Benjamin Gunsberg

Committee

Christine Cooper-Rompato

Committee

Michael Sowder

Abstract

For my thesis, I wrote and illustrated a graphic short story that captures the confusing experiences associated with aging out of childhood. My thesis, titled “Sporkling,” follows a twelve-year-old girl named Moira as she confronts her fears with the help of the recently thawed disembodied head of the quirky nineteenth-century inventor, Samuel W. Francis. The central topics of the project reflect on the unification of the body and mind. Whereas the young, naïve Moira represents the body, the disillusioned, decapitated Samuel represents the mind. As the two spend an afternoon trapped in Moira’s father’s secret laboratory, they must assist each other and learn what it truly means to be human. I chose to depict this story in graphic form because the genre itself captures the essence of the underlying topic: Union. By merging visuals and text, I more efficiently communicate with my young audience and reflect the story’s message.

Included in

Fiction Commons

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