This thesis aims to offer a scholarly approach to the poetics of Princess Shokushi, one of Japan’s most celebrated and influential female poets of the pre-modem era. Princess Shokushi is generally regarded as a poet of imagination, mainly because she wrote a number of passionate love poems despite her lifelong celibacy, imposed on her by her position as imperial princess. While some scholars conclude that Shokushi’s poetry came from her mastery of the traditional craft and a vigorous poetic imagination, others see her poetry as the personal expression of her innermost feelings and life experiences. Focusing on this controversy over whether or not her poetry is, in fact, based on real life experiences or merely invented—which some claim she did by exploiting the poetic conventions of the Japanese male poets of the day—this paper explores Shokushi’s distinctive poetic expression through her use of the literary technique called honka-dori, allusive variation. This research pays special attention to the poems that allude to The Tale ofGenii and reveals how Shokushi’s frequent allusions to this tale and its characters signal her profound interest in the story beyond the conventional literary trends of her time. Shokushi often refers to the specific female characters in her poems—Oigimi, Ukifune, and Lady Murasaki—, abandoned imperial princesses, whose lack of strong family support leaves them in close confinement deep in the mountains. By examining Shokushi’s poetry in the contexts of this narrative, ultimately, this paper will show how, in alluding to these female characters, Shokushi not only furthers her own image as an isolated imperial princess, but also throws light on these female characters’ inner sufferings, which are unknown to the male characters with whom they associate.

This thesis aims to offer a scholarly approach to the poetics of Princess Shokushi, one of Japan’s most celebrated and influential female poets of the pre-modem era. Princess Shokushi is generally regarded as a poet of imagination, mainly because she wrote a number of passionate love poems despite her lifelong celibacy, imposed on her by her position as imperial princess. While some scholars conclude that Shokushi’s poetry came from her mastery of the traditional craft and a vigorous poetic imagination, others see her poetry as the personal expression of her innermost feelings and life experiences. Focusing on this controversy over whether or not her poetry is, in fact, based on real life experiences or merely invented—which some claim she did by exploiting the poetic conventions of the Japanese male poets of the day—this paper explores Shokushi’s distinctive poetic expression through her use of the literary technique called honka-dori, allusive variation. This research pays special attention to the poems that allude to The Tale ofGenii and reveals how Shokushi’s frequent allusions to this tale and its characters signal her profound interest in the story beyond the conventional literary trends of her time. Shokushi often refers to the specific female characters in her poems—Oigimi, Ukifune, and Lady Murasaki—, abandoned imperial princesses, whose lack of strong family support leaves them in close confinement deep in the mountains. By examining Shokushi’s poetry in the contexts of this narrative, ultimately, this paper will show how, in alluding to these female characters, Shokushi not only furthers her own image as an isolated imperial princess, but also throws light on these female characters’ inner sufferings, which are unknown to the male characters with whom they associate.

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This thesis aims to offer a scholarly approach to the poetics of Princess Shokushi, one of Japan’s most celebrated and influential female poets of the pre-modem era. Princess Shokushi is generally regarded as a poet of imagination, mainly because she wrote a number of passionate love poems despite her lifelong celibacy, imposed on her by her position as imperial princess. While some scholars conclude that Shokushi’s poetry came from her mastery of the traditional craft and a vigorous poetic imagination, others see her poetry as the personal expression of her innermost feelings and life experiences. Focusing on this controversy over whether or not her poetry is, in fact, based on real life experiences or merely invented—which some claim she did by exploiting the poetic conventions of the Japanese male poets of the day—this paper explores Shokushi’s distinctive poetic expression through her use of the literary technique called honka-dori, allusive variation. This research pays special attention to the poems that allude to The Tale ofGenii and reveals how Shokushi’s frequent allusions to this tale and its characters signal her profound interest in the story beyond the conventional literary trends of her time. Shokushi often refers to the specific female characters in her poems—Oigimi, Ukifune, and Lady Murasaki—, abandoned imperial princesses, whose lack of strong family support leaves them in close confinement deep in the mountains. By examining Shokushi’s poetry in the contexts of this narrative, ultimately, this paper will show how, in alluding to these female characters, Shokushi not only furthers her own image as an isolated imperial princess, but also throws light on these female characters’ inner sufferings, which are unknown to the male characters with whom they associate. / Arts, Faculty of / Asian Studies, Department of / Graduate

abstract: The Indian princess began as an imposition, a Eurocentric conception based in preconceived notions of cultural structures and gendered power roles - a mixture of noble woman and provocative demure maiden - created by Anglo men to epitomize an idyllic image of otherness and womanhood. This analysis begins by exploring the history of the icon that was first conceived through sixteenth century explorer's tales of exotic queens then traces her progression through the romantic idealizations of the Indian woman Pocahontas. Research then explores how the character, comprised of a mixture of feathers, beads, and buckskin, was implemented into performance, and discusses how her flesh and blood enactment became critical to her survival. Drawing on the theories of contemporary critics, final examination turns to twentieth century perceptions of the Princess and reactions to her by contemporary Native artists whose manipulations of the character opens alternative dialogs about the stereotype to offer reconstructions of her historic discourse. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Art History 2011

Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas continue to enjoy popularity worldwide, in both amateur and professional settings. Their 1884 collaboration Princess Ida¸ however, remains a contested work regarding its representation of women and feminism. In this thesis, I argue that Gilbert and Sullivan were attempting to satirize men’s reactions to feminism, rather than feminism itself. This thesis situates Princess Ida within its Victorian social context to determine to what extent a proto-feminist interpretation of the operetta is valid. Princess Ida is based on, and a parody of, Tennyson’s The Princess (1847). Tracing the chronology of Ida’s story from its beginnings in Tennyson’s poem through to Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta clarifies what Gilbert chose to satirize in his libretto. Victorian masculinity emerges as a central theme in Princess Ida, and the complexities of Gilbert and Sullivan’s representations of men in their operetta informs my discussion of proto-feminism. This thesis historically contextualizes Princess Ida and examines the operetta through the lens of feminist critiques of Western art music.

Uppsatsen handlar om hur karaktären Xena i tv-serien Xena krigarprinsessan (Xena: Warrior Princess) är visuellt gestaltad och vad det innebär. Syftet är att undersöka vilka värderingar som speglas i utformningen av krigarprinsessan. Är tv-serien en feministisk skildring av en kvinna som slår tillbaka mot patriarkatet eller är det egentligen en kvinna som blir ett objekt för en manlig publik? Med hjälp av en tredelad ikonologisk analysmodell analyseras stillbilder från två avsnitt av tv-serien. Bilderna analyseras först på formal nivå, sedan identifieras motiv, och på den tredje nivån analyseras våldsamma kvinnor. Uppsatsen kommer fram till att karaktären Xena är en stark och våldsam kvinna men hon blir sexualiserad och objektifierad och tvingas därmed in i en struktur där männen har makt. När Xena utövar våld får hon en makt som till största delen innehas av män. För att förminska det hot som Xena innebär mot männens överordning måste Xenas kvinnlighet förstärkas och sexualiseras.

Meg Cabot’s young adult (YA) novel series The Princess Diaries (2000-2009) is one of many modern-day examples of attempts to redefine what Western society considers the classic princess narrative: the story of a beautiful princess passively waiting for Prince Charming. As critics such as Kay Stone and Sarah Rothschild emphasize, the fictional princess is traditionally linked to notions of ideal femininity which, in turn, makes princess stories interesting texts from a feminist perspective. Rothschild notes a surge in YA princess novels in recent years, with YA writers such as Cabot aiming to challenge the traditional image of the princess as a passive feminine stereotype in their re-workings of the princess story. Previous feminist research on The Princess Diaries series celebrates the main character Mia as a symbol of third wave feminism and as such, a positive role model for Cabot’s predominantly young, female readers. Mia’s characteristic Dr Martens boots are frequently cited as an example of how greatly Mia differs from her princess predecessors. However, these critics ignore important changes in Mia’s personality over the course of the series. By the end of the series, the Dr Martens-wearing heroine introduced in the first book has replaced her combat boots with high heels. In my thesis, I will argue that Mia’s transformation in terms of appearance and preoccupation with mainstream fashion, from quirky outsider to stereotype girly girl, complicates the idea of The Princess Diaries series as feminist texts. Moreover, previous feminist research largely ignores diary writing’s prominent role in the series, and the ways in which the diary format influences the reader-narrator relationship in the novels. In my feminist reading of The Princess Diaries series, I therefore use Mia’s diary writing and the diary format of the series as my starting points. I argue that while Mia’s diary writing is portrayed as empowering, and thereby inspiring, the diary format as a narrative structure creates a rather ambiguous tone and effect; questioning but simultaneously conforming to traditional, restricting notions of femininity.

Thesis advisor: Lisa Cuklanz / There are strict rules and expectations that govern the world’s idea of femininity and beauty. What are the repercussions of selecting one type of beauty to be ideal on a global scale? After watching the pageant and reading previous scholars’ findings, I argue that the Miss America Pageant presents its participants as women to be admired while its practices objectify women’s bodies. Several myths dictate how contestants should behave and historically diversity has failed to break into the pageant. On a global scale, Miss America has inspired other international beauty pageants, causing countries to compete with one another for the most beautiful woman. Selecting one beauty often times is based purely on appearance, like body type or racial characteristics. The implications of one beauty means that all women, all over the world, feel compelled to meet the standards set by this one beauty, this winner. In turn, women who do not measure up feel inadequate and strive to change their appearances to meet the mold. This model also homogenizes the concept of beauty that previously was diverse and culturally based. Pageants, like Miss America, therefore encourage women to objectify themselves in order to meet an international beauty standard that is historically based on white or western appearances. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Communication Honors Program. / Discipline: Communication.

M.Cur. / An explorative, descriptive, contextual qualitative design was employed in an endeavour to unravel experiences of mothers with infants in the NICU regarding emotional support that they received from the nurses while nursing their infants in the unit. The sample of the study comprised eight (8) mothers who were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through the use of semi- structured questions. All the interviews were audiotaped. Data were collected in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Princess Marina Hospital, Botswana. Data were analysed through the use of Tesch's method of data analysis, which is based on thematic content analysis. Themes which emerged were acceptance of the infant, encouragement to keep on visiting the infant every three hours, information provided on caring for the infant, encouragement on giving the infant motherly love e.g. cuddling, nurses having no time for the mothers, nurses' mistrust of mothers and finally neglect. The results of the study revealed that mothers did receive the emotional support that they needed, perceived as an important aspect to mothers nursing infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It was found that some nurses did provide emotional support to mothers while other nurses had no time to support the mothers in need.