This thesis is built on the assumption that in order to be a serious Thoreau scholar, one must move away from Walden (1854) and read his other works. Walden is, to be sure, Thoreau’s most studied book and remains an iconic example of 19th-century Amer . . .

We are in need of a more subversive reading of past and present literature and film that allows not only for a feminist literary history, but also for a feminist future in which men are more comfortable responding to and accepting women as equal to th . . .

This thesis argues that, in key nineteenth century texts, humor is a means of fostering group identity and a mode of social critique. The chapter “Boundary Maintenance in Early American Humor” looks at humor as a form of boundary maintenance in both A . . .

This thesis both outlines and tests the limits of a methodology that can be used to make sense of references to certain literary genres as they appear in contemporary narratives. While much of my argument refers to literature, as I will note this meth . . .

Within William Shakespeare’s works the women characters range from being independent and outspoken to submissive and obedient. Throughout the plays, despite their natural personalities, the women are often faced with social institutions that regulate . . .

Walking the line between historical autobiography and analysis of Communities of Practice and Situated Learning theories, this thesis simultaneously conducts a close examination of my own personal journey in the writing program at California State Uni . . .

The purpose of this research is to observe and document the learning practices of affinity groups known as guilds and their functions within collaborative virtual spaces. This ethnographic study follows a guild known as Acta nøn Verba as they progress . . .

This study examines the idea of cultural hybridity in the United States by using Brando Skyhorse’s The Madonnas of Echo Park (2010) and Richard Rodriguez’s autobiographical novel Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez (1982). First, this . . .

The intention of this thesis is to discuss the ideas of narratology in reference to different disciplines, and to show how the topic of narratology moves through to help people develop and understand the world around them. To start the discussion, the . . .

Over the past two years, I have researched the complexities of e-textbooks and how the rise of new digital media has influenced the network of the textbook industry. My research traces various connections and disconnections within this network that af . . .