Stephen F. Austin State University
Mermaid in the Bathtub: A Speculative Southern Female Gothic Novel
Abstract
dc:description.abstract<p>Mermaid in the Bathtub is a Southern female gothic novel set in 1931 rural East Texas. Minnie is a seventeen-year-old woman, married off so her father can find work during the deepening depression and failure of their cotton crop. She is betrothed to Thomas, the Pastor’s son, and doesn’t quite understand her new role as wife and homemaker. Over the course of the novel, Minnie endures abuse at the hands of the Pastor, who punishes her for disrespecting his church and authority. Minnie begins working with other women at the local dry cleaners, but when tragedy strikes and she miscarries her first child, she returns home and begins to spiral, obsessing over the mystery of her mother’s death while dreaming of a life without the Pastor.</p>
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Master of Arts - English
- Level thesis:degree_level
- Thesis
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- English
- Year dc:date.available
- 2025
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- McClelland, Whitney
- Contributors dc:contributor
-
- John McDermott
- Bridget Adams
- Ericka Hoagland
Subjects
dc:subject × 7Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Repository record dc:identifier
- https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/607
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:scholarworks.sfasu.edu:etds-1648