This collection of seven short stories is in fulfillment of the Florida State University MA thesis requirement. Each of the stories, set during the off-season in the fictional gulf coast town of Mossy Key, can stand on their own. Jointly, the stories hinge on life in a small, self-supported fishing village. Each story, told by different residents of the town, addresses the town's concern to expand while also preserving its roots. The stories are arranged sequentially beginning with Labor Day and running through Spring Break. The stories render a world where land development for the sake of commerce does not necessarily facilitate the expansion of the resident's wallets. The stories center around the verge of a full-blown tourist economy, but this theme is not the major driving force behind each story. Each centers on emotional ambivalence: anguish over unrequited love, grief created by unstable family situations, breaking the habit of believing one's own lies, and accepting the bittersweet taste of loss. "Meeting Jim Cantore" and "Potted Plants" illustrates two women's unrealistic yet desperate grasp of woman/man love relationships should be. "Sweet Loretta" and "Washed Ashore" both address the trappings of mother/daughter-type relationships, expressively the balance between loving and controlling. "Concrete Chickens" explores the break-up of a couple and the unrelenting man who cannot take it like a man. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts. / Fall Semester, 2002. / December 13, 2002. / Short Stories, Moss Key / Includes bibliographical references. / Elizabeth Stuckey-French, Professor Directing Thesis; Mark Winegardner, Committee Member; Janet Burroway, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_182565 |
| Contributors | Fleming, Amanda L. (authoraut), Stuckey-French, Elizabeth (professor directing thesis), Winegardner, Mark (committee member), Burroway, Janet (committee member), Department of English (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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