Abstract
dc:description.abstractThe Oracle's Dream is a work of historical fiction set in 5th century BCE Greece, exploring the intersection of myth, history, and the feminine psyche through a feminist-Jungian and historical fiction lens. In this creative writing thesis, I will develop the first 81 pages of my novel. I apply Jungian concepts of the “shadow” and “anima/animus” with a double narrative plot that follows protagonists Nefeli, an Apollonian priestess in training turned hetaera; and her daughter Lena, a young lyricist navigating patriarchal society, grief, and guilt years later following Nefeli’s unexpected passing. The Oracle’s Dream challenges and subverts patriarchal leanings in Jung's theories and aims to rework them as a feminist expression of agency and psychological exploration of repressed parts of the “Self.” Drawing on the work of Susan Rowland for my feminist-Jungian analyses, this thesis also engages with the aesthetic considerations of writing into the tradition of historical fiction and the possibility of engaging with historiographic metafiction, additionally. My aesthetic choices are informed by theorists such as Brayfield et al., Stephanie Young, and Linda Hutcheon, as well as established historical fiction authors Margaret Atwood and Ariana Franklin, who have pushed the boundaries of both these genres through innovative narrative techniques and feminist perspectives. By weaving together historical fact, myth, and doubled narrative, I hope to create a powerful story that not only explores the lives of women in ancient Greece but shows how these narratives hold ongoing relevance to contemporary readers. Keywords: Ancient Greece, feminist-Jungianism, woman-centred historical fiction.
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Master of Arts (MA)
- Level thesis:degree_level
- Master's
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Creative Writing and English
- Grantor dc:publisher
- Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina
- Year dc:date.issued
- 2025
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Marshall, Taylor Ashley
- Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
-
- Schnell, Melanie
- Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
-
- Trussler, Michael
- Purdham, Medrie
Rights
- Language dc:language.iso
- en
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:uregina.scholaris.ca:10294/16817