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Date of Award
5-2023
Document Type
Thesis - Campus Access Only
Degree Name
MFA in Writing
First Advisor
Myla Goldberg
Abstract
Abstract
Magically-infused stories have always been a subject of immense interest to me. As a young child, I found that epic adventure and fantastic powers produced a fine effect on my appreciation for life. I wished to be empowered like these unbelievably dynamic characters, so immersed in their hugely significant and pressing plots. That being said, these four stories are all beginnings of what feel more like worlds than short works. In different ways, I thought to empower otherwise damaged protagonists. Asphodel is infertile; Georgette is killed; Eurclesic is blocked; Seria is degraded. Asphodel is given power enough to revolt; Georgette’s dormant powers flame in the face of tragedy; Eurclesic is enchanted by his Tutor; and Seria is crowned as the reborn messianic leader. What’s really unusual with these sagas is that, no matter how enamored I am by the pure fantasy of it all, they wind up centering around critiques of society. Pain and hurt, it seems, are the key point of reflection, where these wild tales end up taking shape, growing form. The injuries are not obvious, so much so that only each protagonist seems to embody the full thrust, while the surrounding characters never find a way to exactly alleviate that. These stories, I do think, have a lot to do with inner feelings across traumas and commitments in life, and the inherent misunderstandings and deviations that follow from even, what to the naked eye, is but a regular existence. The absurd spins out from a pre-existing order.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License
Recommended Citation
Shely, Aviad, "Four Magically Interspersed Stories" (2023). Writing Theses. 402.
https://digitalcommons.slc.edu/writing_etd/402