Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

English

Committee Chair

Mark Mayer

Committee Member

Eric Schlich

Committee Member

Emily Skaja

Abstract

The novella Select Life/Delete/New Page" by Jeremy Scherer follows the story of Nopok, a young man who works in a computer lab while pursuing a political science degree. Lacking any direction in his academic or professional lives, Nopok suffers at home, where his parents use him and his brother Sammy as proxies to act out their obvious dysfunction. Nopok's only escape is his online life, where he finds meaning as a user on the gaming website Gamefaqs, where he provides people with gaming advice and fits into an odd, but endearing community of artists and gamers. When Nopok's mother threatens to disturb the delicate balance at home, Nopok dives deeper into his online life through a role play where he finds a surprising outlet for his emotions. As his family breaks apart, threatening to leave him with nowhere to turn, Nopok struggles to find new ways to connect with his family, using lessons from his positive online experiences to empathize with his parents and his brother. This character-focused novella explores the intersection of offline and online life in a 21st century context still reeling from the impact of Covid-19."

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest

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