Date of Award
Summer 8-8-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
First Advisor
Janet Graham
Committee Members
Michelle Beissel Heath
Megan Hartman
Jim Hollar
Keywords
Barbara Kingsolver, social justice novel, Demon Copperhead, Flight Behavior, The Poisonwood Bible, call to action, compassion, ugly feelings, narrative theory, affect theory, ecocriticism
Abstract/Description
Barbara Kingsolver is an American best-selling author whose novels have a strong emotional impact on readers. Her texts cover a wide range of socially relevant, yet often stigmatized, controversial, or dismissed topics, and she skillfully creates characters and stories that elicit reader empathy and develop reader awareness. This study analyzes the approaches that Kingsolver uses across Demon Copperhead (2022), Flight Behavior (2012), and The Poisonwood Bible (1998) to facilitate deep and meaningful reader engagement by eliciting powerful emotions, increasing awareness of culturally relevant topics, and offering avenues to spark change. I engage in close analysis of these novels through the lenses of narrative theory and affect theory, applying the work of a range of literary critics. I explore the ways in which Kingsolver uses storytelling and emotions to create powerful critiques of sociopolitical issues such as racism, misogyny, climate change, and corrupt social and government systems in a way that facilitates a sense of authenticity and that sticks with the reader long after reading. Finally, I draw conclusions about the similarities and differences across her approach to each novel and identify where she is most effective at building reader compassion and critical thinking, both of which I argue are strong motivators for action and advocacy for change.
Recommended Citation
Nicksic Sigmon, Chloe A., "Evoking Compassion, Increasing Awareness, and Moving the Reader Toward Action: An Examination of Barbara Kingsolver's Narrative Strategies" (2025). English Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity. 19.
https://openspaces.unk.edu/eng-etd/19
Included in
Cognition and Perception Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, Feminist Philosophy Commons, Fiction Commons, Modern Literature Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Other Linguistics Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Reading and Language Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons, Social Justice Commons, Social Policy Commons, Social Welfare Commons