Abstract
Two components make up this thesis—a critical essay that analyzes the mode of the eulogy in William Apess’s “Eulogy on King Philip;” and a creative excerpt from a novel-in-progress titled The Eulogist. Though distinct and self-standing as respective projects, both components reflect my continued interest in intersections of language and memory, in addition to connections between function and form.
In “Here Am I: The Disruptive Presence in William Apess’s ‘Eulogy on King Philip’,” I analyze the ways in which Apess’s visual and sonic presence might be understood as instruments of resistance in his larger anti-colonial project. In particular, I rely on the theories of Christina Sharpe, Judith Butler, and Michel-Rolph Trouillot in order to discuss how Apess’s eulogy managed both spatial and temporal disruption.
In the following excerpt from The Eulogist, I prepare for the later sections of the novel (sections which deal more explicitly with eulogizing) by establishing a sense of place, building a sense of character, and setting into motion significant dramatic action. Written in a style that draws equally from hard-boiled noir and speculative fiction, these early chapters depict V (the novel’s protagonist) reacting to a series of strange intrusions and wrestling with the implications of a possible conspiracy
