Date of Graduation
Spring 2021
Degree
Master of Arts in English
Department
English
Committee Chair
Wayne Blackmon
Abstract
This creative thesis includes four short fiction stories, introduced by a critical essay about rhyming action in coming of age narratives. I discuss the works of John Gardner, Milan Kundera, Charles Baxter, and Mohamed Makhzangi to explore techniques in symmetrical composition and narrative echo. My hypothesis is that rhyming action in coming of age stories can be used as an effective technique to highlight the characters’ change and realization by the end of their stories. When reading about a character’s coming of age, the reader is not able to spot rhyming action until completing the work and reflecting on motifs. All of the stories in Brides of the Jasmine Land share themes of womanhood, faith vs. doubt, and unfairness and injustice.
Keywords
fiction, symmetrical composition, rhyming action, short stories, Middle Eastern literature, literary, creative writing
Subject Categories
Creative Writing
Copyright
© Batool Alzubi
Recommended Citation
Alzubi, Batool, "Brides of the Jasmine Land: A Collection of Short Stories Exploring Womanhood in the Middle East" (2021). MSU Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 3601.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3601
