Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students.
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- Creators: Department of English
- Creators: Bateman, Heather
The objective of my thesis project is to help bridge the gap between entertainment and science. I grew up reading the warrior cats, and I assume I was similar to many other children and young teens who did not understand domestic cats or ecology enough to question anything in the books. I know that much of these books are fictional, but that does not mean that it can’t be analyzed and used as a tool for teaching. The goal is to reach common ground with those people who have an interest in the warrior cats series, and help them understand it in a new light, as well as the world around them. I aim for the takeaway of this series to encourage people to explore the concepts I discuss and consider expanding upon the ideas within the Warriors universe or with their own cats.
If you’ve ever been driving cross country along the highway and seen a sign from the window of your car advertising the world’s largest rocking chair, or smallest museum, or biggest ball of string, then you’ve caught a glimpse into a closing window on a unique and fascinating chapter of American history, namely the essentially distinctive and often academically overlooked age of Roadside Americana. When most people think of Roadside Americana, they likely first think of Route 66 in the 1950s. There are immediate associations with the kitsch and hyperbolic: dramatic signs, themed diners and motels, and of course an abundance of roadside attractions like the ones listed above. Ask them to think a little harder and they might define their idea of Roadside Americana by its stereotypically friendly strangers, small towns, and open roads. All of these elements together create a conceptual definition of Roadside Americana as it is often optimistically considered today. However, while Route 66 at its commercial height is undeniably the blueprint for this collective definition, the influence of Roadside Americana has long since outgrown the original setting of its birth. Despite the ongoing decline in functionality and visibility of the Mother Road itself, the image of the era it gave rise to is one that has persisted throughout the decades in the American imagination. One place the evidence of this persevering fascination can be observed is in the close examination of media. The truth of a culture’s values is often revealed in storytelling, and the story of the American road trip is one that has been told time and again, so much so in fact that it’s become a widely acknowledged genre in its own right. Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, Kerouac’s On the Road, SNL’s The Blues Brothers, Pixar’s Cars, all these and more. The tone may differ drastically between works, ranging from poignant and tragic to downright ridiculous. And yet, there is a consistency across these fictional narratives. There is an appeal that unites them all. Despite practicality and the passage of time, despite maybe even challenging internal cynicism, there is something about Roadside Americana that we, as a culture, just aren’t ready to let go of.