Master of Arts, Miami University, 2019, History

Throughout the first twenty years of television's history, the programs that aired simultaneously reflected and shaped American society based upon sets of values and ideals, specifically regarding gender roles. While the representation of women deviated from the traditional femininity of the idyllic housewife to career-oriented individuals, the portrayal of men increasingly reinforced traditional or hegemonic; masculine traits and core values via the depiction of strong, manly protagonists. Even as masculinity shifted against the backdrop of the Cold War from rugged individualism to gentle yet stern breadwinners for families, television series continued to reaffirm the desire of men to acquire their manhood by fitting into the ever- changing mold. The three television programs of The Twilight Zone (1959-1964), The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966), and Star Trek (1966-1969) each demonstrate different facets of masculinity in different contexts. The Twilight Zone uses the genre of horror to visually present men's fears of never obtaining manhood via the punishment of unmanly men. The Dick Van Dyke Show employs situational comedy as a means of reestablishing men within the home as the heads of the household. Star Trek, through the genre of science-fiction, displays traditional masculinity and its values holding firm in a futuristic society.

Committee: Nishani Frazier (Advisor); Erik Jensen (Committee Member); Kerry Hegarty (Committee Member) Subjects: Film Studies; Gender; Gender Studies; History; Modern History; Motion Pictures

Master of Arts in English, Cleveland State University, 2014, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

This thesis examines the contemporary phenomenon of the paranormal romance, as exemplified by Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Although immensely popular, the series has drawn harsh criticism for its writing style and for the sexual politics portrayed in the novels. Readers of the series have been subjected to similar harsh criticism for enjoying these works in spite of the aforementioned issues. Careful examination of the books, however, reveals that the source of their popularity draws from several factors: the use of a narrative structure known as the Rebirth scenario, particularly popular in romance novels; an inverted form of the traditional Beauty and the Beast narrative, in which the Beast is princely on the outside and bestial within, and in which the heroine is the one who undergoes transformation; and a heroine who, through her apparent lack of empowerment, may actually empower her readers by functioning as an avatar with whom they are capable of fully identifying and sympathizing. Further, this thesis traces the historical formation of the paranormal romance through the multiple genres that have contributed to its development, and examines the social forces that may have made the popularity of both a flawed heroine such as Bella Swan and a dangerous hero such as Edward Cullen inevitable. The segregation of the romance novel away from other fiction, along with the customary way in which it is derogated as inferior to other genres, emerges as a crucial factor in how the novels have been interrogated by their detractors. As this derogatory treatment is often extended to the novels' fans, this thesis further suggests some ways in which those critics concerned about female empowerment may wish to re-evaluate the novels, the genres from which they draw, and the benefits that many readers may actually gain from reading them.

Committee: Frederick Karem PhD (Committee Chair); Adam Sonstegard PhD (Committee Member); Rachel Carnell PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Literature

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2007, College-Conservatory of Music : Piano

This document's primary function is to trace the twentieth-century stylistic elements present in Robert Starer's music, including lyricism, rhythm, atonality and technique. It includes the discussion and grading of the four pedagogical sets, Games with Names, Notes and Numbers, Sketches in Color-Set One, Sketches in Color-Set Two and At Home Alone, providing a resource in selecting repertoire for the National Music Certificate Program. Three advanced works, Excursions for a Pianist, Twilight Fantasies, and Sonata for Piano, No. 3, are discussed, outlining their formal design and structure. The document draws together the selected compositions by Starer, tracing the stylistic elements common in the elementary, intermediate, and advanced works.

Committee: Dr. Michelle Conda (Advisor) Subjects: Music

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2010, Mass Communication

This study examined the relationship dynamics in the films Twilight and New Moon. The study was founded on the principles of ideological analysis, which postulates that all cultural artifacts are reflections of society's ideals, norms and anxieties. To that effect, the study focused on the romantic relationship dynamics between the key characters in the films and how these relational dynamics relate to the anxieties and norms and values of the dominant culture. Additionally, the study examined the role of “Otherness” and non-normative relationships within the films. The study also looked at the point of view, or Gaze, in Twilight and New Moon. The study found that messages contained within these films expressed a desire to revert to traditional male-female relationships. The presence of a Female Gaze in the films was also supported. Finally, the study found that the films reflect society's generalized fear of the “Other.”

Committee: David Sholle PhD (Advisor); Ron Scott PhD (Committee Member); Kathleen Johnson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2011, English

Stephenie Meyer's four-part series, Twilight, has caused a ruckus in popular culture; however, this love triangle among a high school student and two supernatural beings has had less of an effect on academia. Rather than continuing to ignore Twilight, I illuminate the importance of this text in academic study by examining its influence on the town in which it was set. Since the publication of Meyer's series, Forks, Washington, the real town in which the narrative is set, has undergone many changes. These changes, caused by the text, are evidence of Twilight's power. Using textual analysis, theories of the act of reading to discuss the potential of the series, and actual accounts of Forks illustrate the text's influence on the town, I conclude the text has had a significant economic and cultural effect on the town without being a revolutionary text in itself. Twilight, while being quite typical, has caused seemingly atypical results, and I argue this paradox is worthy of further academic pursuit.

Committee: Bryan Bardine Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Literature

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2011, English/Literature

The plot in contemporary gothic texts such as True Blood, the Underworld series, and the Twilight series center around a new gothic heroine navigating through a relationship with her supernatural boyfriend. Although these texts are clearly popular, can they tell us anything else? Why are these same stories, and the action that occurs within them, repeated in an almost obsessive fashion? Not unlike traditional gothic texts that were primarily written in the late 18th Century or early 19th Century, the repetition and ritualistic nature of these tales hint at a trauma that must be worked through. The trauma that one can see in both contemporary and traditional gothic texts results from erasure of the feminine, and the continuance of pervading acts of misogyny throughout. However, many contemporary gothic texts do not stop at simply recognizing this trauma, or working through it. Indeed, these texts have begun to imagine a new social contract between the sexes—which is the very relationship in which the original trauma occurs. The goal of this working through and formulation of a new contract is to recognize such trauma—instead of ignoring it or pretending it does not exist—and imagine a way in which women and men can move beyond thinking in terms of master/slave. The way this new contract is constructed, and the method in which the gothic heroine navigates the patriarchal powers that be, are similar to Deleuzian masochism. By utilizing this interpretation, one can see how each heroine tries to make a space for her self that moves toward the recognition of an identity in which she is free and content.

Committee: Piya Pal-Lapinski PhD (Committee Chair); William Albertini PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Literature