Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2001. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 177-188).

In his preface to The Moonstone , Wilkie Collins declares that his object with the novel has been "to trace the influence of character on circumstances", referring mainly to the conduct of the novel's heroine, Rachel.  In view of the other characters' similar function in this symbol-laden novel, this essay looks closer at the one character with whom Collins brings his extensive tapestry to a close, Ezra Jennings, thereby exposing the deeper significance of this 'detective novel'.  Ezra's added function in this novel, is to be the physical focal point, within the plot, for three crucial themes within the novel: 'Opium', 'Empire' and 'Sacrifice'.  Of course, the other characters incorporate these themes as well, but it is always Ezra who has the ultimate representational power.  He is, literally, the sum of the others' hopes and fears, and Collins's metaphorical 'third eye' of The Moonstone, presenting an alternative aspect of events.

This thesis explores the domestic designs produced in Canterbury, New Zealand, by the architectural firm of Collins and Harman between 1883 and 1927. Architects John James Collins (1855 – 1933) and Richard Dacre Harman (1859 – 1927) were partners in the firm founded in Christchurch by William Barnett Armson (1833 – 1883) in 1870. Like many New Zealand architects practicing at the turn of twentieth century, Collins and Harman worked amidst a climate of major social and economic transformation, yet they managed to navigate these transitions with their personal connections and respected positions within the local architectural profession. From Collins and Harman’s surviving architectural drawings and office records, the firm’s ability to design residences in accordance with its clients’ wishes is evaluated. The methods with which they carried out designs, transacted business and secured future clients are also considered. The social standing of the firm’s clientele is emphasised to highlight the tight-knit nature of architectural patronage in Canterbury during this period. In order to assess the firm’s contribution to the development of domestic architecture in New Zealand, the local architectural profession, the firm’s reputation, and the effects that its built designs had on its clients and the local community are also investigated. While their major public and commercial designs are included in general surveys of New Zealand architecture, Collins and Harman tend to be overlooked as domestic architects in comparison with better-known contemporaries such as Samuel Hurst Seager and Cecil Wood. In catering to the requirements of a diverse clientele, the firm adopted varied approaches in its designs, which illustrate a more complex evolution than the linear progression usually found in standard architectural historical methodologies. Divided chronologically into four distinct periods, the thesis focuses on key commissions to chart the firm’s development over forty-four years within the context of the evolution of domestic architecture in Canterbury. The diversity in its domestic work engendered by the firm’s professionalism demonstrates that Collins and Harman made a substantial and vital contribution in the development of domestic architecture in Canterbury.

Parallax is integral to the conception of movement in modern architectural space. This research examines the role of architectural parallax in creating dynamic spaces that champion the primacy of perception to reinforce a conceptual narrative. The study is contextualized in the cinematic context of Miami Beach to understand the dynamic quality of its public spaces. An analysis of these spaces studies the role of parallax in reinforcing the city???s scopophiliac meta-narrative of Seeing and being Seen. A final design project is situated within the shifting sociocultural context of Miami Beach today as it strives to reinvent itself into a cultural destination for the high Arts. The chosen site is a historically significant site that has remained as a municipal parking lot for over 70 years, and may not be developed for commercial purposes. The design proposes Collins Cultural Center that draws from the exhibitionist Beach culture of the city and fuses it with the high Arts culture. The aim is to use parallax as an architectural strategy to create a dynamic space for cultural production and exchange. Reframing the cultural imagination of residents and visitors fuels Miami Beach???s momentum towards becoming a future cultural destination for the Arts.

The focus of this thesis is how fanfiction, an underground subculture of web literature written about popular books, films, television shows, and comics, treats the original works it derives from. In this study I will examine the ways in which fans reshape the original stories of the works they write about, and the ways in which they do not, and speculate the reasons they have chosen to do so. This project examines fanfiction surrounding three young adult novels: Twilight, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter. I examine each of these works and their respective fanfiction in order to highlight important themes in each work and problems inherent in each story to account for the changes fanfiction writers make in their literature. I have chosen one overarching theme in the fanfiction in each fandom and will explore why fanfiction authors have overwhelmingly chosen to change the source material to suit that theme.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, June, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 338-348)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / 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 July 31, 2009) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 90-100). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 131-138). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.