Graduation Date
5-2015
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department or Program
Graduate Humanities
Department or Program Chair
Joshua Horowitz, PhD
First Reader
Judy Halebsky, PhD
Second Reader
Thomas Burke, MFA
Abstract
Since earliest recorded history, human beings have been going to war with each other. It seems that this is an integral and inescapable part of our existence. As humanity has advanced and expanded over time, our wars have advanced and expanded in stride, to the point that we are capable of destroying all life on the planet “at the push of a button.” This awesome power, coupled with an impulse so primal that we struggle to understand it, is a dangerous and terrifying prospect. It is vitally important that, in this age of drone strikes and nuclear proliferation, we do not lose sight of the individual human element. For this project, I have written three fictional stories set against a backdrop of human conflict. I use this backdrop to explore the themes of: belonging, home, love, acceptance, place, and identity. Whether we believe in the fight or whether we are even in the fight, it is clear that war permanently changes us. This project questions what effect war has on the individual person, and ultimately asks: is it necessary?