Ouroboros
Date
2011
Authors
Train, Stephanie A., author
Doenges, Judy, advisor
Schwartz, Steven, committee member
Prince, Eric, committee member
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
If the radiance of a thousand suns Were to burst at once into the sky That would be like the splendor of the Mighty one... I am become Death, The shatterer of Worlds. - Bhagavad Gita This thesis is an invitation to immortality, or rather, a creative study in character transformation. Six short stories, each representing a transformative journey, comprise the contents of this thesis, titled Ouroboros after the ancient symbol depicting a dragon or serpent eating its own tail. In alchemy the ouroboros symbolizes regeneration; the snake appears to perpetuate the cycle of life and death as it sheds it skin. Normandi Ellis writes that the ouroboros has long been a "symbol of unified beginning and end, the ouroboros who creates the universe also devours it." Death and rebirth (both physical and spiritual) are common themes, nothing that hasn't been well-mined or frequently visited in the literary world. Yet, all good writers are taught that characters must, at the very least, confront some kind of changing force in their fictional lives. In terms of point of view, these stories display a wide range--first person, second person, and third person--each bringing a unique style and voice to its perspective narrative. Transformative situations explored in this collection include a young woman's struggle with spiritual identity; the discovery of a body in a small Wyoming town; a widow's attempt to reconcile the loneliness she feels after her husband's death; and a man coming to terms with his mother's terminal illness. How we deal with death and transformation varies depending on the individual. I have striven to create characters, within these stories, who change and evolve (or, in some cases, devolve) on their own terms.
Description
Rights Access
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Subject
ouroboros
transformation