Silence, Absence, And Mystery In Linda Hogan's Mean Spirit, Solar Storms, And Power

<p>In Mean Spirit, Solar Storms, and Power, Linda Hogan uses the devices of silence, absence, and mystery to articulate the oppression and marginalization of Native Americans. Specifically, because of the environmental crises that produce conflict in each novel, the project benefits from ecocriticism, ecofeminism, and ecopsychology. Also, because of various interpretations that open up when silence is examined, theories of deconstruction strengthen the thesis. Ultimately, Hogan's characters move from silence as a form of tyranny to silence as a form of reconnection with tribal ways. As the characters discover pathways to native traditions, they also discover spiritual connections with the biosphere. The movement from silence as a form of tyranny to silence as healing to silence as a means of reconnection with tribal traditions and kinship with the environment ensures the natives' healing and survival. The Introduction discusses the overview of the project, illustrates my thesis regarding Hogan's use of silence, absence, and mystery, and outlines my critical methodology. In the methodology chapter, I detail specific references to ecocritical, ecofeminist, ecopsychological, and deconstructive texts that I use to analyze Hogan's novels. Beginning with Chapter Two, I discuss Mean Spirit, which is based on a true story involving the murders of Osage people during the 1920s in Oklahoma. In Chapter Three, I examine Solar Storms and track Hogan's use of silence, absence, and mystery in the story of a teenage girl who returns to her birthplace and reconnects with her tribe and the wild lands surrounding her home. Chapter Four features my close reading of Power, a coming-of-age story blended with eocological and ethical conflicts taking place in rural Florida. Finally, Chapter Five concludes the thesis and reasserts my argument that Hogan's use of silence, absence, and mystery illuminates the conflicts in her characters' lives and ultimately serves to clear a space for healing and survival.</p>

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Central Florida

Year

2006

Author dc:creator

• Erickson, Kathryn

Contributors dc:contributor

• Murphy, Patrick D.

• ecocriticism
• ecofeminism
• ecopsychology
• American Literature

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

CFE0001176

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:etd-1892