English Language and Literature ETDs
Publication Date
Summer 8-1-2023
Abstract
This dissertation is a novel centered on themes of family dysfunction, the confluence of class and morality, generational and individual experiences of trauma, mental illness, the mental healthcare system, nature, hegemonic masculinity, collective guilt, love, death, suicide, and community. The author follows three main strands through the novel, centered on the three main characters: June Hamilton, Abram Groome, and Sarah Ham (née Katie Belle Hamilton); mother, father, and daughter, respectively. The connection and disconnection of these three characters, with the intervention of several others across the American South, form the work’s central conflict. Community, family, and forgiveness provide a source of healing and understanding for these three characters as they navigate the changing world around them. The preface describes the author’s experiences as they influence the work, including his own experiences with trauma and mental illness, while also explicating some of the literary works that impacted the novel’s genesis.
Degree Name
MFA Creative Writing
Level of Degree
Masters
Department Name
English
First Committee Member (Chair)
Daniel Mueller
Second Committee Member
Lisa Chavez
Third Committee Member
Marisa Clark
Fourth Committee Member
Finnie Coleman
Fifth Committee Member
Merle Collins
Document Type
Dissertation
Recommended Citation
O'Melia, Charles S.. "Child of Earth." (2023). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/engl_etds/349
