Date of Award

Winter 3-2024

Document Type

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Degree Name

B.A. in English Literature

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, English and Literary Arts

First Advisor

Joanna Howard

Second Advisor

Adam Rovner

Keywords

Speculative fiction, Strange, Reality, Short stories, Time, Eerie, Suburban Gothic

Abstract

Endeavoring to explore a new dimension of strange realities, The Clementine Tree and Other Uncanny Stories is a contemporary take on the age old-question – what happens when we let our imaginations wander just past the point of possibility? Rich with the stark imagery, eerie undertones, and poignant endings of speculative fiction, these short stories create microcosms of fantastic and uncanny worlds. “The Partitoners” illustrates a refusal to accept reality; “The Long Goodbye” takes a dark and satirical look at impending doom on a Midwestern family dinner. “Stay the Pulpit” blurs the line between dreams and reality, illuminating the dangers of beliefs passed down, while “I Swear There Were Pearls” finds a dangerous and electic narrator seemingly mold time to his liking. “Things are Good In the Village” exemplifies how too much of a good thing can be fatal, and the collection’s truly weird titular story “The Clementine Tree” follows the passing of ghosts through haunting symbols and relationships. Collectively, The Clementine Tree and Other Uncanny Stories extends an invitation to illusion, cycles of deception, and strange afflictions, encouraging readers to leave no symbol, word, or phrase unturned – nothing is as it seems!

Copyright Date

5-13-2024

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Marcella E. Senti

Provenance

Received from author

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

75 pgs

File Size

419 KB

Available for download on Thursday, June 10, 2027



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Fiction Commons

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