Date on Honors Thesis
Fall 11-6-2020
Major
English Education, Secondary Certification
Examining Committee Member
Andrew Black, PhD, Committee Member
Examining Committee Member
Julie Cyzewski, PhD, Committee Member
Examining Committee Member
William Jones, PhD, Committee Member
Abstract/Description
In my senior thesis, I will be analyzing and comparing early modern literature and “pop” music in order to follow the development of women’s ability to gain power. Throughout history, there has been an ongoing struggle for women’s equity in education, publishing, and socially acceptable actions. While it may seem that comparing literature from the 17th Century to current pop lyrics, there are major connections that show a consistent female struggle - the inability to voice one’s true feelings due to the reaction of an educated man or an unchanging society. My thesis will focus on literary works such as Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, Philips’s “Thoughts on Marriage,” and Swift’s “The Lady’s Dressing Room.” I will also be focusing on 2000s/2010s popular music artists including Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift. Connecting these ongoing experiences of women gaining power over the last few centuries will bring a new kind of light onto an ever-present struggle.
Recommended Citation
Stroud, Amara D., "Discourse and Discography: The Pushback of Female Writers, Characters, and Pop Stars" (2020). Honors College Theses. 56.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/honorstheses/56
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Classical Literature and Philology Commons, Literature in English, British Isles Commons, Other Classics Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Other Music Commons, Women's Studies Commons