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Graduation Term
2019
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Department of English
Committee Chair
Katherine . Ellison-Patterson
Abstract
Throughout history, women in literature continuously strive to practice an ethic of care and affect change through the caring relationality they practice. This thesis aims to trace a historical progression of how the practice of care ethics practiced by women changes and evolves throughout literary fantasy tradition. Beginning with the Beowulf epic, set roughly in 700 A.D., and ending with Laini Taylor’s 2014 novel, Dreams of Gods and Monsters, this thesis sets out to highlight the women in these novels, and discuss their practice of care ethics, initially with their significant others. I hope to demonstrate to readers how through the practice of care ethics by women in my four major texts, they extend care to their significant others, and by extension, towards their social communities, ultimately healing their fantastical worlds from the trauma they suffer. My works strives to encourage audiences of that achieving the reality of a caring world is possible, and audiences should take courage that, through care for one another, they can bring about healing in their own communities, and ultimately, heal our own world.
Access Type
Thesis-ISU Access Only
Recommended Citation
Borow, Ann J., "Women in Fantasy: Healing Worlds from Trauma via Ethics of Care" (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 1180.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/1180
DOI
http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2020.Borow.A