Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 304-327).

Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2010. / Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 116 p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 42-43)

M.A. / In this dissertation I have explored the ways in which Margaret Atwood, in her novella The Penelopiad, reflect and re-interprets the Penelope of Homer’s Odyssey. The method I am using to explore and form character profiles is in accordance with modern literary theories on character. I have studied how Penelope’s speech, actions, interactions with others, thoughts and other elements of contrast and archetype aid in forming her character profile in Homer and Atwood. The character of Penelope in the Odyssey has been treated differently over the years by scholars and my aim is to discuss how Atwood enters into this critique. She enters into this critique with her fictional re-representation of Penelope in The Penelopiad. I have concluded that The Penelopiad is a feminist response to Homer’s Odyssey. In Homer Penelope emerges as a virtuous, yet complex and powerful character who is regarded by later Greek tradition as the epitome of a respectable and faithful wife. The purpose of Atwood’s Penelope is to counter the Homeric tradition that portrays her as loyal and obedient. Atwood keeps close to Homeric events and story-line in her re-reading, however she subverts the archetype of the ‘Good Wife’. She portrays Penelope’s familiar Homeric behaviour as motivated from a self-serving perspective and a manner in which to gain power and preserve her reputation in the patriarchal society. In this way Atwood exposes the female suppression that is inherent in patriarchal society, as well as the duplicitous behaviour that is necessary to survive the system.

This study attempted to discover and describe the cultural knowledge and understandings that Margaret (Bell) Gibson derived from her performance as a highly successful athlete in Canadian women's sport during the 1920s - 1930s. A case study approach was used that employed qualitative research strategies. This approach was considered appropriate as prominent issues in women's lives are subtle and context-bound. A series of five informal interviews was conducted with Bell, using an ethnographic approach developed by Spradley (1979). Each interview was recorded and transcribed into text. The text was then validated by Bell, prior to analysis by the researcher. An inductive-reflexive analysis of the text was employed, as much of the information emerged as Bell recalled her experiences in sport. This involved the use of an evolving methodology, which identified classifications of knowledge and structures of thought as they were revealed. Bell's narrative was contextually-grounded in a review of Canadian history from 1920 to 1938, as this seemed to connect Bell's experience as a sportswoman to the broader socio-historical milieu. Findings were substantiated through a process of triangulated inquiry wherein verification was sought from newspaper clippings, official records, and historical documents. The analysis of Bell's narrative revealed a complex system of knowledge based on categories of information related to the structure of sport, social network, jumping, cultural activities, concepts of space and timing, and role definition. Documentation of the major sporting events Bell experienced, as an athlete, was also recorded. Implications for future research were discussed. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

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yes / This analysis of British Ostpolitik focuses on Margaret Thatcher’s diplomacy, exploring her quietly pragmatic efforts to bring about a gradual transformation of Eastern Europe at the cost of supporting selected communist regimes. The analysis reveals how a market-oriented economic experiment in Budapest first sparked the prime minister’s interest in Hungary and inspired her foreign policy in Eastern Europe. It documents the British search for a socialist transition ‘model’, which led to unprecedented diplomatic overtures towards a small enemy state on the brink of bankruptcy. Based on extensive archival research in Budapest and London, as well as on the personal recollections of three senior British diplomats, this case study challenges some of the common assumptions of the historical literature about Thatcher’s chosen method of combating communism and Britain’s long-term strategy towards the Eastern bloc. / Hungarian Academy of Sciences

This thesis traces Margaret Atwood's uses of three major elements of fairy tales in her novels. Atwood creates a passive, fairy-tale-like heroine, but not for the purpose of showing how passivity wins the prince as in the traditional tale. Atwood also uses the binary system, which provides a moralistic structure in the fairy tale, to show the necessity of moving beyond its rigidity. In addition, Atwood's novels focus on transformation as the breaking of a spell. However, the spell to be broken arises out of the fairy tales themselves, which create unrealistic expectations. Thus, Atwood not only presents these fairy tale elements in a new setting, but she also changes their significance.