Term of Award
Spring 2018
Degree Name
Master of Arts in English (M.A.)
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of Literature and Philosophy
Committee Chair
Joe Pellegrino
Committee Member 1
Dustin Anderson
Committee Member 2
Caren Town
Abstract
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman helped to change the cultural view of Death personified through their work with the Discworld novels and Sandman comics. Despite taking seemingly different paths in portraying Death, these two authors presented a cohesive view of mortality that encourages readers to re-consider the long-held Western cultural notions of Death as a frightening figure to be tricked or avoided at all cost. Despite meeting Barthes’ criteria of the work of “bliss” that changes the mythology of the culture, academic circles frequently overlook the importance of “pop culture” writers, especially when dealing with underrepresented genres such as fantasy, horror, and media such as comics. A thorough look at how Pratchett and Gaiman subverted or skewed well known tropes in their Deaths, and the greater philosophy of mortality their works suggest, aims to explore not only the impact made on the larger culture but also why their works merit much-needed academic study.
Recommended Citation
Canon, Kiki V., "Not Cruel, Blessed, or Merciful: Pratchett, Gaiman, and the Personification of Death" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1713.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1713
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
