Honors College Theses
Publication Date
2026
Major
English (B.A.)
Release Option
Archived
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Olivia Carr Edenfield
Abstract
West Virginia author Breece D’J Pancake has often been praised for vivid imagery descriptions of the Appalachian landscape in his short fiction, but this is a misunderstanding of the purpose served by the details of the natural and man-made landscape included in Pancake’s stories. In fact, the descriptions Pancake includes do not paint a full picture of the landscape at all. The sparing but precisely chosen details are instead a form of character development for the focalizers of Pancake’s stories. Whatever details of the landscape that are mentioned in the story mirror the protagonist in some way, because they are details important enough for that character to recall in their narration.
Recommended Citation
rolinson, callum and rolinson, callum, "Ecology as Character Development in the Fiction of Breece D’J Pancake" (2026). Honors College Theses. 1085.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/honors-theses/1085
Included in
Literature in English, North America Commons, Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority Commons
