Breaking the silence : the necessity of memory in Tillie Olsen's Tell Me a Riddle.

This thesis examines Tillie Olsen's use of memory in the four short stories included in her collection Tell Me a Riddle: "I Stand Here Ironing," "Hey Sailor, What Ship?" "O Yes," and "Tell Me a Riddle." In Olsen's collection personal and collective memory breaks the silence engendered by personal hardship and offers hope for a reclaiming voice. Her stories illustrate not only how memory enables but also how circumstances may thwart an individual's search for self. Each chapter of this paper explores the stories individually and as part of a unified whole, focusing on the psychological development of each of her characters. This study also emphasizes Tillie Olsen's social consciousness as a writer and discusses her belief in the past as a means for transforming the present. And finally it seeks to understand the role of the community in helping individuals find a voice.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

1996

Author dc:creator

• Tyndall, Christion L.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Moore, Andy Johnson, 1932-2020.

• Olsen, Tillie -- Criticism and interpretation.
• Memory in literature.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14655

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/14655