Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Award Date
2018
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department / School
English
First Advisor
Sharon Smith
Keywords
creative writing, transgressive fiction
Abstract
This thesis explores the genre of transgressive fiction and locates my own creative work within this genre. Los Angeles Times writer Michael Silverblatt popularized the term transgressive fiction in 1993 and associates authors such as Dennis Cooper, Kathy Acker, Roland Barthes, Bret Easton Ellis, Michel Foucault, William Gass, Jean Genet, and William Burroughs with the genre; however, the definition of transgressive fiction remains elusive. Therefore, in my first chapter, I analyze three transgressive novels—Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho, Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club, and Tony Tullamuthe’s Private Citizens. My second chapter consists of selections from my creative work, a transgressive novel entitled Life Sucks. Finally, in my third chapter I reflect on my creative writing process and describe how my creative work engages with, contributes to, and departs from the genre of transgressive fiction.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Experimental fiction -- History and criticism.
Deviant behavior in literature.
Creative writing.
Description
Includes bibliographical references
Format
application/pdf
Number of Pages
84
Publisher
South Dakota State University
Recommended Citation
Christianson, Jena, "Life Sucks: Classifying Transgressive Fiction" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2650.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/2650
Included in
Rights Statement
