Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
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Date of Graduation
Spring 2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Department
Department of English
Advisor(s)
Brooks E. Hefner
Allison E. Fagan
Mary Thompson
Abstract
This project is an analysis of the portrayal of modern women in the 1920s American literature written by ethnic female authors. It focuses on the stories of women in New York City, honing in on those from the neighborhoods of the Lower East Side and Harlem. These ethnic female authors offer incredibly different interpretations of the early twentieth century woman when compared to their male counterparts, as they present them as more authoritative and strong characters, while displaying how the influence of space in New York City affects the identity of the characters on the page. Using the texts, Salome of the Tenements (1923) and Bread Givers (1925) by Anzia Yezierska, Plum Bun: A Novel Without Moral (1928) by Jessie Fauset, and Passing (1929) by Nella Larsen, this project studies how space, gender, and race combine to influence the sense of self on the city streets of New York in the modernist era.
Recommended Citation
Greiner, Kristen A., "Empire state of being: Modern women and the literary streets of New York City" (2017). Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019. 326.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019/326
