Publication Date
2024
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Gómez-Vega, Ibis
Degree Name
Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)
Legacy Department
Department of English
Abstract
This study contributes to the underserved field of short story research while drawing together disparate authors from different backgrounds to show that neither integration into the American “melting pot” nor resistance to acculturation saves the characters in minority and immigrant fiction from mental, emotional, and physical damage. I explore Frank O’Connor’s proposition that the short story as a genre is predisposed to “submerged populations” through analysis of immigrant and minority fiction by sixteen authors of Chinese, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Native American descent. Each story revolves around a protagonist who either resists or attempts to accept acculturation, and each protagonist fails to navigate the pressure the dominant culture produces. This study shows that integration is not as simple as “becoming American” or displaying American values, and conversely, those outside of the dominant culture cannot live without feeling its effect.
Recommended Citation
Molchan, Max, "The Damaging Dichotomy of Acculturation in Short Stories By U.S. Immigrant and Minority Authors" (2024). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 7910.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/7910
Extent
145 pages
Language
en
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
