My Brother, No Computer

Identifier

etd-04122013-123414

Degree

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

English

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This master’s thesis explores the realities of living in a perpetually connected world and the heartbreaking outcomes that often come about as a result. Through 17-year-old Eric Whitney, outcasted senior at Reno High, we see the sincere pain caused by careless, behind-the-back spreading of truths, lies, and the destructive public commentary that accompanies both. Following the suicide of his best friend, a victim of chronic, tech-enabled bullying, Eric decides to ditch his devices altogether, opting instead to communicate with his lone remaining confidant, his protective older sister Morgan, through a series of handwritten letters. Over the course of several painful months, Eric paints a grim yet somewhat hopeful picture of the state of the contemporary teenage mind. Morgan, in turn, receives his honest accounts with an expectedly heavy heart, recognizing his subtle cries for help as a blatant call to action. Act she does, and the communications major at UC-Santa Barbara, under the guise of a class project, forges an online campaign to expose the misguided use of social media and ease her brother’s lingering pain. Sharing the novel’s namesake, Morgan’s online creation, My Brother, No Computer, through a cleverly constructed live event, draws the traffic of several divergent communities both on and offline, forcing them all to face the real consequences of their virtual actions, together.

Date

2013

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Secure the entire work for patent and/or proprietary purposes for a period of one year. Student has submitted appropriate documentation which states: During this period the copyright owner also agrees not to exercise her/his ownership rights, including public use in works, without prior authorization from LSU. At the end of the one year period, either we or LSU may request an automatic extension for one additional year. At the end of the one year secure period (or its extension, if such is requested), the work will be released for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Davis, Jennifer

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.3635

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS