Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2017
Document Type
MFA Creative Writing Thesis
Degree Type
MFA
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
English
Committee Chair
Chrisa Parravani
Committee Co-Chair
Kevin Oderman
Committee Member
Renee Nicolson
Abstract
This memoir told through personal essays examines the struggle of accepting oneself. From his rural boyhood to his years in South Korea, Whit Arnold develops a deeper understanding of himself, his family, and the world. Part of the gay man's experience is sexual, and in a few of these essays, sex acts as the epicenter of understanding and self-discovery; from vulnerable to carnal, sex helps man Whit become the man he’s dreamt of becoming. Finally, the collection culminates with Whit telling his parents he's gay. The final essay captures this incredibly human moment, but when the family is faced with a much more serious tragedy, cancer, Whit's sexuality is put in perspective.
Recommended Citation
Arnold, Whitney Allen, "Confessions of a tadpole" (2017). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 3960.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/3960
Embargo Reason
Permanent Embargo – MFA Creative Writing