Date of Award
Fall 12-2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
English
Program/Concentration
Creative Writing
Committee Director
Kent Wascom
Committee Member
John McManus
Committee Member
Renee Olander
Abstract
Bastard is a collection of eleven memoirs and personal essays that center on the question ‘what does it mean to be a parent?’ The narrator of the collection looks inward at his own experience with trauma, while also trying to situate the origin of the trauma in the relationship with his grandmother and father. Themes of memory, race, escape, and overcoming adversity run throughout the collection. There are very graphic depicts of child abuse in several pieces, as well as candid conversations about race and racism. By the final piece, the answer to the central question has been reached and the narrator has embarked on a journey to be a better parent. This collection draws inspiration from writers such as Richard Wright, Mary Karr, Harriet Jacobs, and Maxine Hong Kingston.
Rights
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
DOI
10.25777/4z9z-4076
ISBN
9798762197199
Recommended Citation
McDowell, Rashad.
"Bastard"
(2021). Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Thesis, English, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/4z9z-4076
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/english_etds/116