Identifier

etd-04122005-203314

Degree

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

English

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Lying in Translation is a thesis of creative non-fiction that is a process of self-discovery as I retell my Hispanic grandmother's stories and the life we lived together. Lala is a woman to be feared and loved by all those who encounter her, and the main thread through the work is whether or not I will ultimately decide to embrace her insanity or running screaming from it. Other questions arise, and hopefully, are answered in this book: What does it mean to be half of one thing and half of another? How do immigrants survive in America, in a land and culture so different from their own? Did this difficulty possibly contribute to Lala's craziness and abuse? Were her actions considered abuse if she performed them out of love, thinking them to be helpful and right? Overall in this work I hope to convey what a fascinating character Lala is. I want readers to be repelled by her and delight in her, to see her as clearly as I can, to love her, to become grateful for their own families yet be jealous of the zaniness of mine.

Date

2005

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Rodger Kamenetz

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.1092

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