Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on December 12, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 214-226). Also available on the Internet.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of English

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Florida, 2006. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 228 pages. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.), Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2000. / Bibliography: leaves 124-130.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of English Language and Literature, Dec. 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2002. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 188 p. Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Stephen J. Summerhill, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese. Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-188).

This essay closely studies several works written by American male writers--either while the author was in an American prison, or shortly after he was released. The first works studied, from the nineteenth century, introduce the themes and questions for the later discussion of the other works, all of which are taken from the twentieth century. A central focus of the essay is on the process by which all of the authors studied attempt a textual reversal of the positions of reader and author. In each of the works, the reader, generally seen as a member of 'outside' society, is portrayed as a representative of the imprisoning society. Thus, the textual confrontation is between a prisoner/author and a warden/reader; and the subsequent reversal that takes place through the medium of the text places the reader in the position of being a prisoner, with the author becoming the prison-authority, or warden. This reversal is used by the authors examined as means or attempt at freeing themselves from both the defining and imprisoning texts of society, as well as from the actual prison where the author finds himself. The writing of the prison-text, therefore, is a verbal act intimately associated with the gaining of various forms of at least visionary freedom.

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