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Dream and fantasy in the work of Sinclair Ross

University of British Columbia

This thesis studies the meaning and importance of fantasy and dream in the work of Sinclair Ross. By first reviewing existing criticism on Ross's work and then illustrating how this criticism may act as the basis for further investigation, I will show the manner in which fantasy and dream help order theme and figurative language in his fiction. Criticism has concerned itself mainly with Ross as a realistic prairie writer; his short stories and novels have won recognition for their accurate portrayals of Canadian rural life during the Great Depression. The vivid descriptions of the environment, with its sun, dust and wind, are often the critical context for an evaluation of theme or characterization. While this approach correctly identifies an important aspect of Ross's work, it has not gone on to other equally important areas. The manner in which this critical emphasis grew to be, and still remains, the accepted approach to Ross's work will be the subject of discussion for the first part of this study. After the critical background has been established, specific matters of technique and theme will be examined. Alienation, the process which acts as the catalyst for behavior for so many of Ross's characters, is dealt with in detail because of its.importance to plot and theme. Three distinct kinds or levels of alienation are identified in so far as they represent Ross's portrayal of man's perception of himself. Symbolism is studied as a unifying force in the writer's work. His symbols fall into two general groups which represent the basic conflicting forces within man in regard to an imaginative restructuring of the environment. Symbols of life, movement, and action are shown as being balanced by the author with symbols of enclosure and stagnation.

Text

2010-02-18

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/20440

English

University of British Columbia

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