Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Thesis

Department

English

First Advisor

Angela Hofstetter

Second Advisor

Darryl Pebbles

Abstract

Death, loss, and grief are inherently difficult components of the human experience, but grappling with such emotions as an undergraduate student has been an especially unique journey. After my father passed from cancer at the end of my junior year, I chose to follow in the footsteps of many great authors by using writing as a tool for grieving. In writing a memoir collection of interconnected essays, I have created an outlet to process my emotions and think critically about my relationship with death. These essays focus on my recollection of the dying process and its aftermath while weaving in themes of family, childhood, and religion. Furthermore, I have enriched my writing process by studying other authors who have written on grief. I use elements of these studies to influence my own writing, borrowing Joan Didion’s forthright tone in The Year of Magical Thinking and David Sedaris’ dry humor in Calypso and Happy-Go-Lucky. I outlined the process behind the memoirs’ creation and shared elements of my story through readings of essay excerpts during an oral presentation. In doing so, I hope to have encouraged others to feel comfortable looking for beauty, interest, and even humor in the aftermath of loss. This thesis submission represents the largest and most important essay in what will eventually be a complete collection.

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