Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

1-1-2016

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

M.F.A. in Creative Writing

Department

English

First Advisor

Tom Franklin

Second Advisor

Chris Offutt

Third Advisor

Deborah Barker

Relational Format

dissertation/thesis

Abstract

"God's Gonna Trouble the Water," is a noir set in Grenada, MS in the 1930s. This novel explores the issues of race, gender, and class via the protagonist, a thirtysomething black woman who despite her low status in the socioeconomic hierarchy of this small southern town is able to navigate the delicate complexities of the environment to search for her missing granddaughter, a mixed raced toddler whose father is the son of a prominent white land owner. Although national history portrays Mississippi as maintaining a polarizing view on race relations, the novel will explore how this idea of Mississippi is not accurate. The protagonist encounters resistance and assistance within her community as well as outside. This novel investigates how secrets are protected within communities and how communities respond when the secrets are revealed.

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