Mythology of the Angry Black Man: an Analysis of Cornelius Eady’s Brutal Imagination as a Rhetorical Counter-Narrative

Author

Junior Ocasio, Illinois State UniversityFollow

Date of Award

2-16-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

School of Communication

First Advisor

Joseph P. Zompetti

Abstract

This thesis examines how Cornelius Eady’s book of poetry, Brutal Imagination, rhetorically serves as a counter-narrative to the fictional construction of Black characters blamed for committing crimes. Brutal Imagination gives voice to Mr. Zero, Eady’s name for the fictional character Susan Smith created in 1994, whom Smith blamed for kidnapping her children. Thus, by using a counter-narrative lens, this thesis analyzes how fictional creations can alter the socially constructed identity of the “angry” Black man.

Comments

Imported from ProQuest Ocasio_ilstu_0092N_10902.pdf

Recommended Citation

Ocasio, Junior, "Mythology of the Angry Black Man: an Analysis of Cornelius Eady’s Brutal Imagination as a Rhetorical Counter-Narrative" (2017). Theses and Dissertations. 768.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/768

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2017.Ocasio.J

Page Count

65