Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

1999

Thesis Director

David Carpenter

Abstract

I've written my creative thesis in support of the Chicago Public School (CPS) System's "Character Education" initiative. This initiative is composed of a teaching curriculum designed to develop instructional lessons and activities for students, training for teachers and CPS staff, and information for the community that will serve to reduce racial, ethnic and/or religious intolerance and increase sensitivity, cooperation, and understanding. The purpose of this thesis is to give teenage students valuable lessons in character building and allow them to come face to face with various realities of life (i.e., peer pressure, divorce, death, etc.). But more importantly, this thesis has given me an opportunity to utilize my creative abilities to share the results of my research in the areas of 1) teenage pregnancy, 2) fraternity hazing, 3) parenting after divorce, 4) child abuse, and 5) gang affiliations.

I have created a total of five fictional works for this thesis. Each story is approximately 20 pages in length, written in first person, and told from the point of view of a teenage male student. After each story, the reader is supplied with a host of questions that require critical thinking and a thorough comprehension of the text. There is also a list of questions that pay particular attention to plot, characterization, and voice in each story.

The main thematic concern of this thesis is to elevate the consciousness of our society's youth—in regards to several issues that have been proven to have devastating effects on them. The concern is not to encourage more adults to assume responsibility for our children, but to provide young adults with a means to assess their own priorities, choices, and purposes in life. Other thematic concerns include: 1) education reform, 2) violence by youth, 3) safer sexual intercourse, 4) abortion 5) crime, and 6) domestic violence, etc.

…

My literary sources constitute a list of authors whose fiction has aided me in sharpening my character development. They have assisted me in discovering original but compelling ways in which to write various scenes—incorporating poetic imagery. Due to my fascination with Toni Morrison's use of symbolism, I have attributed symbolic meanings to various objects, events, and/or relationship in my fiction. My theoretical sources have provided me with valuable information on my subject matter.

In conclusion, this creative thesis confronts several pertinent issues that face teenage students from all walks of life. The results of my research is evident in each of the five stories, but no solutions are offered for the problems. This thesis functions as a creative tool for the purpose of reaching out to an adolescent audience.

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