Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Thesis (UNI Access Only)

Keywords

Ecocriticism; Young adult fiction, English; Dystopias in literature; Pon, Cindy, 1973-. Want; Oshiro, Mark. Each of us a desert; Power, Rory. Wilder girls;

Abstract

For my thesis, I wanted to examine the connection between the rising trend of ecocritical young adult dystopian literature and the isolation from nature experienced by Millennials and Generation-Z. I was inspired to write about this topic because, in my own experiences, I have noticed how disconnected my generation is from the environment. For my study, I examined three novels: Cindy Pon’s Want, Mark Oshiro’s Each of Us a Desert, and Rory Power’s Wilder Girls. When examining Cindy Pon’s Want, I paid particularly close attention to the setting, characters, and plot, revealing humanity’s ectoparasitic relationship with the environment. Similarly, for Mark Oshiro’s Each of Us a Desert, I noticed how Oshiro created a space within a post-apocalyptic environment to explore complex issues like immigration and intergenerational trauma. Lastly, for Wilder Girls, I examined the novel through the lens of a microcosm, highlighting how humanity parasitizes and harms the environment in the same way the Tox parasitizes the island, and girls, of Raxter. The results of my study indicate that it is important to consider the relationship between the content a person consumes and their personal views because it can influence their opinions and personalities, regardless of whether the content is fictitious or not.

Year of Submission

2022

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Languages and Literatures

First Advisor

Sheila Benson, Chair, Thesis Committee

Date Original

5-2022

Object Description

1 PDF file (iv, 64 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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