| This creative dissertation comprises my novel, Missing Pieces, and an essay in which I discuss my creative process, explore the aesthetics of the novel in general, and examine the characteristics of my work that place it culturally and artistically in relation to other works of literature.;Several authors have influenced my reading and writing. In my essay I discuss those who have helped me understand character development, the relationship between character and location, narrative structure and pacing, and how language is used to create voice, build scenes, and invoke emotions.;To understand the relationship between the writer and the reader, I explore the aesthetics of the novel and how its focus has shifted from the writer's creative act to recognition that there are aesthetics involved in the act of reading. Contemporary readers expect to be engaged in the narrative and are therefore part of the creative process. Missing Pieces is essentially a coming-of-age story, or a Bildungsroman. The form has an historical set of distinct characteristics, but in the twentieth century, it evolved new characteristics distinctive to female protagonists. These are applied in my novel. I also employ regionalism in Missing Pieces as its unique West Texas location enters constructively into the plot, serves as a distinct character, and is woven into the themes of the story. In a typical Bildungsroman, the protagonist is assimilated into society at the end of the story. I discovered that in Bildungsroman novels that also employ regionalism, the protagonist is often described as becoming one with the environment at the end instead.;Four basic themes and motifs provide a foundation for my narrative, give shape to the structure, and ensure unity in my novel. These include use of a female protagonist, setting, baseball, and astronomy. I compare my use of these topics with other writers' similar uses. My novel demonstrates my application of the influences and characteristics discussed in the essay. Missing Pieces features a young woman who, like the protagonists in Bildungsroman, is searching for a place to belong and a purpose to her life. Over the course of the novel, she grows and develops insights that help her achieve her goals. |
