Dissertation Archive, WMU Graduate College

Dissertation Defense

Candidate: Libbie Searcy

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: English

Title: TONGUES

Date: Monday, March 15, 2004, 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
3011 Brown Hall

Committee: Mr. Stuart Dybek, Chair
Dr. Gwen Raaberg
Dr. Nicolas Witschi
Mr. George Looney

Abstract: Told from the point of view of a young Florida woman, Tongues is a novel that focuses primarily on the narrator's relationship with her autistic brother and his movement between his own world and the world around him. The novel chronicles the siblings' early childhood experiences in the home of their paternal grandparents and their mentally-ill aunt, as well as their relationship with their mother. As she matures, the narrator attempts to create a life beyond her family, shaping her identity through dance and sex - activities that often obscure rather than illuminate her identity. Eventually, the narrator begins to view herself as a parent figure to her brother, especially after he is raped. The narrator's own rape provides her with insight into her brother's life.

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