Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Date of Award

Spring 5-2025

Document Type

Honors Paper

Degree Name

English Creative Writing-BA

Department

English

Advisor

Jeremy Llorence

First Committee Member

Paul Eisenstein

Second Committee Member

Deborah Solomon

Keywords

creative writing, literary fiction, novel, surrealism

Subject Categories

Higher Education

Abstract

This project is a fictionalized account of the author’s upbringing, and departure from, the Mormon church. The critical preface explains this project’s sources and research of Celtic mythology and religious trauma as well as the fantasy and magical realism genres. This project culminates in the first four chapters of the novel Heaven Stilled. In this piece, the main character, Phoebe, lives on a secluded island populated by fellow members of a religious cult. This community is inspired by Celtic mythology and its emphasis on the spiritual blending into the temporal. When Phoebe comes into possession of a forbidden item – a pocket watch – she becomes the object of her best friend’s condemnation. Phoebe is then targeted by an unknown stalker, from whom her community’s governing body offers little protection. This sparks her sense of disillusionment with the theocracy, which reflects the author’s own experience with Mormon church leaders. Phoebe also explores her island’s version of the afterlife: a miniature version of the village that is populated by dolls representing passed loved ones. She struggles to connect with her dead father, whose doll shows little signs of animation. At the end of this project, Phoebe resolves to push back against the constraints on her and her family. This novel borrows imagery from fantasy Technicolor films, providing a distinct aesthetic backdrop for the spiritual deconstruction of the author and protagonist. Because this piece reflects real-life events, it provides a powerful account of growth and expression. The author’s experience provides material for a story that connects with those who have been silenced.

Licensing Permission

Copyright, all rights reserved. Fair Use

Acknowledgement 1

1

Acknowledgement 2

1

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