Date Thesis Awarded
5-2018
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Department
English
Advisor
Melanie Dawson
Committee Members
Christopher MacGowan
Richard Lowry
Mary Fraser Kirsh
Abstract
The Self-Made Man has become a most arresting American myth— one that still fascinates and captivates today. Engaging The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Rise of Silas Lapham by W. D. Howells, Emma Johnson explores the tensions that the self-made man faces at the intersection of class, character, and capital. From this complex crossroads, Johnson focuses on how self-made men in literature understand their identities and success in a generational context by investigating how family and socioeconomic transformation across historical periods influence this seemingly individualistic and seemingly timeless character type.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Emma Elena, "Stripping the Paint: Uncovering the Self-Made Man in The Rise of Silas Lapham and The Great Gatsby" (2018). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1220.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1220
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