Some saints have poverty. Others, the ill or indigent. Evelyn Ellenberger has herself. This novel deals with themes of
asceticism and sainthood as the main character, Evelyn, experiences mystic visions of St. Catherine of Siena and tries to prove to her
family and to herself that she, too, is destined for sainthood. As a young girl, Evelyn Ellenberger experiences a freak accident with a
neighbor's bull. Though she miraculously survives the encounter, the incident leaves her permanently scarred and inspired. Throughout her
adolescence Evelyn is isolated and ostracized for a mysterious illness, which her psychiatrist father diagnoses as a case of Anorexia
Mirabilis, a miraculous lack of appetite most commonly seen among medieval saints. Initially, her father is her only supporter until he
tries to exploit his daughter's extreme asceticism for personal gain. Years later, Evelyn Ellenberger suspects that she is pregnant and
risks her relationship with her husband to pursue her own veneration as the saint she believes she is destined to become. A semi-recovered
and pregnant Evelyn returns to her childhood home just as Hurricane Sandy is about to hit. Convinced that her pregnancy is the second
miracle needed for sainthood, Evelyn scours her father's home and office determined to prove her case for canonization. Over the course of
the novel, the characters discover that no one is as pure and holy as they claim to be. At the height of the storm, Evelyn realizes that
saints aren't extraordinary people but ordinary people who do extraordinary things and that all of us could be saints if you catch us in
the right moment. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of
Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2016. / February 2, 2016. / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert Olen Butler, Professor Directing Dissertation; Robert Contreras, University
Representative; David Kirby, Committee Member; Barbara Hamby, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_360546 |
| Contributors | Stephens, Jaclyn Anne (authoraut), Butler, Robert Olen (professor directing dissertation), Contreras, Robert J. (Robert John) (university representative), Kirby, David (committee member), Hamby, Barbara (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of English (degree granting department) |
| 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 (228 pages), 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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