Thalhimers Department Store: Story, History, and Theory

This thesis looks at Thalhimers department store through the lenses of story, history, and theory. It first introduces the intertwining narratives of the author's paternal family and the store's history, then shares the author's personal story of Thalhimers. The second half outlines the master narrative of the American department store then applies "fantasy-theme analysis" and the symbolic convergence theory to stories and artifacts related to Thalhimers. A conclusion discusses the end of the department store era including a deeply personal goodbye from the author.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

English

Year dc:date.available

2005

Author dc:creator

• Smartt, Elizabeth Thalhimer

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Catherine E. Ingrassia
• Dr. James Kinney

• hometown
• Hechts
• Virginia
• May Department Store
• family business
• shopping
• genealogy
• department store
• Richmond
• Arts and Humanities
• English Language and Literature

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1447

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-2446