Peyton, Ann

William Butler Yeats directed much of his poetry to the construction of the antithetical or perfect man which he defined as "being most unlike myself" (Allt 371). Yeats also wanted to see Ireland reach this condition. He presented heroes from Irish mythology his contemporaries, and imaginatively created figures who had the strength of character to accomplish a new and self identifiable culture. Yeats wanted Ireland and its citizens to become a modern day "Byzantium" of his classical reference. From his own fishing experience Yeats created the fly fisherman, an image who Yeats saw as "Climbing up to a place ... A man who does not exist ... A man who is but a dream"(Allt 348). In this figure Yeats incorporates his thoughts concerning the value of antithesis, religion, philosophy, nationalism and the concept of the mask. This thesis will propose that the fisherman and his activities are metaphorical applications of Yeats's search for antithesis whether it be for himself, mankind or his country.

In Meridian, The Temple of My Familiar, and Possessing the Secret of Joy, Alice Walker places women in the traditionally male role of hero. As an artist, her goal is to provide stories with role models who will help women transcend the gender stereotyping inherent in patriarchal cultures and enable them to envision themselves as capable of completing the stages of the hero's journey. The novels are compared to the three stages of the hero's journey as it is defined by Joseph Campbell to demonstrate how the women successfully master the hero pattern. The simple act of replacing the mythical male hero with a female initiates the shift in consciousness or the "key archetypal" event that Campbell insists is necessary for a change in world ideology. By redefining the role of the hero, Walker changes society's perceptions about women and becomes the arbiter of myth that will encourage women's potential.

William Butler Yeats created his own mythology which is a religion unto itself. He took the myths of ancient heroic Ireland and combined these with the dominant Christian beliefs in Ireland during his lifetime and created a new religion that would serve to unite Ireland that was divided along religious lines. My thesis will show that Yeats, out of a fardel of tales, created not only his own mythology but a religion as well. With the help of the theories of Joseph Campbell, I will prove that Yeats's writing provided a virtual medium through which he disseminated his belief system. Therefore, this exploration is essential to give a deeper understanding to the total scope of Yeats's work.

The fiction of Constance Fenimore Woolson mirrors her own life as she struggles to find success in the literary world during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. At that time, the literary world was dominated and controlled by males. In her fiction, Woolson explored three major themes: isolation, a daughter's place in the family, and the struggle for success and acceptance in the literary world. Although Woolson enjoyed great success during her lifetime, her work disappeared from the literary scene after the turn of the century. Beginning in the 1970s, her fiction was rediscovered and studied by critics and scholars who found much to praise and admire. Woolson may soon be restored to her rightful place in literary history based on fiction worth reading and a life worth admiring.

Animals play a vital role in the Florida novels of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, including Cross Creek, The Yearling, South Moon Under and Golden Apples. Rawlings's appreciation for the animal world may be viewed as twofold. First, she emphasizes the importance of animals for practical reasons, stressing their contribution to the livelihood of her characters. Her attitude also encompasses a realistic view of the dual role animals play as both threat and protector. Secondly, Rawlings expresses a firm conviction that a close relationship with the animal world is essential to one's happiness. She reveals a marked preference for animals above humans and emphasizes their contribution to the emotional well-being of her characters. Finally, Rawlings employs literary techniques such as simile, metaphor and personification to disclose how fundamental an element animals are to her Florida novels as well as her personal life.

Among nineteenth-century American writers, Kate Chopin presented a new American heroine in the character of Edna Pontellier. She would not merely be a passive recipient reacting to the pressures of a male dominated society. She would actively take control of her own destiny. Chopin created her heroine in an environment that did not tolerate deviance from accepted stereotypes; therefore, many of Chopin's stories either received negative criticism or were rejected for publication because of subject matter. Chopin was sensitive to her critics; however, she was also committed to representing realistic women in their struggles for selfhood. In addition, Chopin created these repeating female characters to chronicle their quests for self-fulfillment. Conflicts, resulting from assertive action, stirred a rebellion inside the heroine and resulted in decisions that shocked and angered a society which was not prepared to accept such strong characters as Edna. Similar to her heroine, Kate Chopin concurrently experienced the dilemmas and ultimate growth that is involved in self-actualization. Kate Chopin was forced to decide how to express herself in a society which was not yet ready to hear her message.

The work is an original volume of poetry with an introduction by the author, which both discusses the influence of other poets and places the work within the canon of American literature. The poetry lies within the lesbian feminist tradition associated with Audre Lorde, Judy Gahn and Adriene Rich. This is a free verse poetry that combines extensive use of the confessionalist school's "I" voices with the concrete school's sculpting of the poem on the page. By drawing on a variety of divergent sources, such as T. S. Eliot, Robert Browning and Marge Piercy, the poet provides a diverse range of dramatic voices and approaches. This is an attempt to further expand through the process of integration the stylistic options available in the general poetic canon. In addition, the poet hopes to deepen the representation of individuals who have been traditionally "muted" in Western literature, by providing them with a "voice" in her poetry.

Eudora Welty's works display multiple ways of handling absence. Absences leading to despair are evident in the characters of R. J. Bowman in "Death of a Traveling Salesman," Howard in "Flowers for Marjorie," and Jason and Sara Morton in "The Whistle." They cannot face the absence of a personal relationship, the absence of hope, the absence of a future. Absences causing a stagnation or fear of changing a status quo appear for Ruby Fisher and her husband in "A Piece of News": they live only in the present out of fear of facing the absence of closeness in their marriage, and Ellie Morgan in "The Key" cannot look into her relationship with husband Albert or project into the future. Unlike Ruby and Ellie, Mrs. Larkin in "A Curtain of Green," "Livvie," and William Wallace in "The Wide Net," realize the absences in their lives, reject stagnation, and adopt a positive attitude for future development. Losing Battles incorporates all three aspects of handling absences--despair, status quo, and recognition for growth--in the characters of Julia Mortimer, Beulah Renfro, and Gloria Short.

The symbol of the gyre is the foundation of three plays At the Hawk's Well, On Baile's Strand, and The Death of Cuchulain. The gyre represents the relationship between Cuchulain and the Old Man, as they are each other's, antithesis and, at the same time, complement. The characters begin the cycle at opposite ends of the gyre, and the base of the gyre exerts the most positive force while the apex has the most negative. Therefore, in At the Hawk's Well, Cuchulain benefits from the influence of the gyre while the Old Man suffers from the negative effects of the same symbol. On Baile's Strand signifies change as the characters move to different positions on the gyre, and in The Death of Cuchulain a complete reversal has taken place; the Blind Man is at the base and Cuchulain is at the apex. In each play Yeats creates a geometric figure to symbolize the compelling force that the gyre exerts.

Alienation causes the characters in Clarissa, Lolita, and The Collector to contend for control of each other. All three male protagonists deny the women they love of freedom; all three women respond vehemently despite their isolation and despair. The resultant struggles for power link these novels and irrefutably solidify the sisterhood among the women. First-person narration further strengthens the bond among the three works. Richardson's Lovelace writes letters in order to tell his story; Nabokov's Humbert relates his account by use of his memoir; Fowles's Clegg records his thoughts daily in his journal. Each man tells of his vengeance and sexual domination over his innocent teenage victim. Ironically, none of the girls' strong wills can be defeated; each triumphs spiritually.