PHD, Kent State University, 2018, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of English

This dissertation is a postcolonial study of selected writings of the Palestinian intellectual, journalist, political activist, and author, Ghassan Kanafani. Using postcolonial theory to create a single framework for the study of selected writings of Kanafani, this dissertation will also contribute to the analysis of the postcolonial Palestinian novel. This study hopes to achieve these goals by investigating the ways in which Kanafani's literary works can serve as means to explore the importance that Palestinians attach to the history of their struggle for freedom and cultural preservation. It is within this postcolonial context that Men in the Sun (1963), All That's Left to You (1966), and Palestine's Children: Returning to Haifa and Other Stories (1969) will be discussed in this dissertation. The novellas and short stories are prime examples of traumatic experiences that Palestinian refugees faced during Kanafani's lifetime. The writings reflect Kanafani's understanding of the permanent exile, fear, isolation, loneliness, and despair that he and many Palestinians experienced during major parts of the twentieth century as results of Zionist occupation of Palestine. Kanafani's realistic depictions of these harsh situations are key factors that make his works ideal for postcolonialist analysis.

Committee: Babacar M’Baye Dr. (Committee Chair); Ali Erritouni Dr. (Committee Member); Ryan Miller Dr. (Committee Member); Joshua Stacher Dr. (Committee Member); Ann Heiss Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Literature; Middle Eastern History; Middle Eastern Literature; Middle Eastern Studies

PHD, Kent State University, 2016, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of English

This dissertation advances a comprehensive theory of stereotype alleviation through integration of literature and cognitive science. The theory is multifaceted, ranging from the study of the mechanisms of stereotypes at both individual and group levels, to the investigation of processes such as categorization, social perception, and representations in terms of schemas. Stemming from the works of Mark Bracher and other major scholars, this theory is used in this dissertation to examine translated Arabic literary works, such as Men in the Sun and They Die Strangers, and the role they can play in the development of empathy and compassion toward others. Because research has shown that literature helps readers to better understand life and people, this dissertation attempts to reveal how readers of carefully-crafted literature could exhibit less prejudice toward others by developing connections with the characters, which eventually leads to connections with other human beings. By using Arabs as an example, this dissertation demonstrates, through the discussions of Men in the Sun and They Die Strangers, how literature can help individuals develop positive schemas that can replace the harmful ones that have appeared in American media for over a century.

Committee: Babacar M'Baye (Committee Chair); Mark Bracher (Committee Member); Sarah Rilling (Committee Member); Richard Feinberg (Committee Member) Subjects: Literature

BA, Kent State University, 0, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of English

This project examines the evolutions in stylistic use during the first major period of Ernest Hemingway's career, culminating in the 1929 publication of A Farewell to Arms. Drawing from source texts and secondary scholarship, this research shows the author's frequent mimicry of the styles of contemporary authors admired by Hemingway early in his career; especially Ring Lardner, Sherwood Anderson, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce. Following side-by-side comparisons of Hemingway's works with those of his contemporaries, this project examines the specifics of the author's own writing style as it emerges out of the earlier, more imitative works. Having found other scholarship to be lacking in in-depth analyses of stylistic traits, this project heavily focuses on the grammatical and syntactical structures of examined texts for their effect on the expression of content.

Committee: Robert Trogdon Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Literature; Modern Literature