This thesis explores the American road genre. I argue that in addition to the automobile and the highway, a discussion of trains, boats, and walkers and their alternative roads must also be included in the genre. Each method of transportation expands the genre by adding new themes and ideas. Hobos and tramps can take to the road in search of community in order to discover more about themselves; some boatmen can use America’s racial history to discover themselves; walkers can go through a state of liminality in order to discover their internal selves. When these travelers complete their journeys, many are unsuccessful and either return home disappointed or do not return home at all.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis explores the American road genre. I argue that in addition to the automobile and the highway, a discussion of trains, boats, and walkers and their alternative roads must also be included in the genre. Each method of transportation expands the genre by adding new themes and ideas. Hobos and tramps can take to the road in search of community in order to discover more about themselves; some boatmen can use America’s racial history to discover themselves; walkers can go through a state of liminality in order to discover their internal selves. When these travelers complete their journeys, many are unsuccessful and either return home disappointed or do not return home at all.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mix, Tinesha K"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts - English","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"English","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Michael J. Martin","Dr. Ericka Hoagland","Dr. Michael Given"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-08-12T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-08-12T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:15Z","subjects":["wanderlust","community","race","liminality","road"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/122","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Michael J. Martin","Dr. Ericka Hoagland","Dr. Michael Given"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Mix, Tinesha K"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-08-11T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts - English"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["wanderlust","community","race","liminality","road"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/122"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis explores the American road genre. I argue that in addition to the automobile and the highway, a discussion of trains, boats, and walkers and their alternative roads must also be included in the genre. Each method of transportation expands the genre by adding new themes and ideas. Hobos and tramps can take to the road in search of community in order to discover more about themselves; some boatmen can use America’s racial history to discover themselves; walkers can go through a state of liminality in order to discover their internal selves. When these travelers complete their journeys, many are unsuccessful and either return home disappointed or do not return home at all.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Mapping the Self: Reconciling Identity through an Expansion of the American Road Genre"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Michael J. Martin","Dr. Ericka Hoagland","Dr. Michael Given"],"dc:creator":["Mix, Tinesha K"],"dc:date.available":["2017-08-11T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis explores the American road genre. I argue that in addition to the automobile and the highway, a discussion of trains, boats, and walkers and their alternative roads must also be included in the genre. Each method of transportation expands the genre by adding new themes and ideas. Hobos and tramps can take to the road in search of community in order to discover more about themselves; some boatmen can use America’s racial history to discover themselves; walkers can go through a state of liminality in order to discover their internal selves. When these travelers complete their journeys, many are unsuccessful and either return home disappointed or do not return home at all.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/122"],"dc:subject":["wanderlust","community","race","liminality","road"],"dc:title":["Mapping the Self: Reconciling Identity through an Expansion of the American Road Genre"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["English"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts - English"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:15Z"}