Date of Award
April 2021
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
English
First Advisor
Liam Callanan
Second Advisor
Valerie Laken
Committee Members
Kumkum Sangari, Bonita Klein-Tasman
Keywords
children, fiction, nature
Abstract
This novel explores the ways in which our concepts of children and family shape our larger perceptions of reality, and vice-versa. It tells the story of a family in rural, upstate New York, using three different perspectives: Grace (the head of household), Eve (her foster child), and Bo, a recent addition to the family. Eve has lived with Grace since childhood, while Bo was taken in after attempting to escape from a rehabilitation camp for boys. Over the course of two days, the children try to manage their own internal conflicts, while Grace does her best to help them. The entire plot is covered in the first of three sections: “Grace.” The following sections: “Eve” and “Bo,” repeat this plotline from their own perspectives.
Recommended Citation
Burden, Ryan, "Orphans" (2021). Theses and Dissertations. 2649.
https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/2649