Dr. Richard Matthew Doyle, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Richard Matthew Doyle, Thesis Supervisor Janet Wynne Lyon, Thesis Honors Advisor Charlotte Amalie Holmes, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
novella post apocalyptic literature third person narration
Abstract:
“Alarm” is a novella following the life of Leroi McMullen, a Mathematics teacher at Blairstown High School. An incredibly lonely individual, Leroi spends each of his days attempting to win the favor of his fellow teachers and students. While Leroi’s affections fall particularly towards a fellow teacher named Patricia and an equally lonely student named Logan, his only want for his life is a person to share it with, even platonically. Leroi’s struggle is heightened by a seemingly unrelated second plotline involving a group of scientists dubbed the “Determinists” who seek to both correct shifting physical laws as well as determine the future using science. These two narratives come together under one umbrella by novella’s end, resulting in a tragic resolution involving power, desperation, and despair.
