Abstract

Aliceâ s Adventures in Wonderland and The Picture of Dorian Gray are both renowned Victorian novels that successfully made it into popular culture. Aliceâ s adventures have been reinvented many times over and inspired the remaking of it via books and films. The same goes for Dorian Gray; so much so that the original plot faded among the remakes and derivatives. This thesis analyses how the two main charactersâ selves fade among the collective, mirroring somehow the state of the books in modern society. In addition, the thesis discusses the role of society and the other in encouraging the self to â disappearâ . The disappearance is caused due to the self being pushed into different situations that cause its fission. The thesis also explores the appearance and disappearance of the authorsâ selves in the books, and whether the tie between the books and the authors can really be broken. Victorian society is discussed and theorists such as Mill and Bradley are employed to identify the main themes of the era. Moreover, theories of Sartre, Barthes and Jung help contextualize ideas within the thesis, along with a reliance on close reading of the texts. The probability of the return of the self after it is subjected to multiplicity and association is the main issue of the books, as well as this thesis. The conclusion is that the societyâ s superficial approach to the self leads to its disassociation, thus making the return improbable.

Department

English & Comparative Literature Department

Degree Name

MA in English & Comparative Literature

Graduation Date

2-1-2012

Submission Date

December 2012

First Advisor

Mujahid, Nadya Chishty

Committee Member 1

Motlagh, Amy

Committee Member 2

Abdel sser, Tahia

Extent

76 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Library of Congress Subject Heading 1

Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898.

Library of Congress Subject Heading 2

Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898 -- Criticism and interpretation.

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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