Date of Award
2014
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Submission Date
October 2026
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Hess, John J.
Thesis/Dissertation Co-Chair
Steigenga, Timothy J.
Additional Committee Member 1
White, Daniel
Abstract
American writer Ishmael Reed defends literature as a mechanism for effective protest and a form of comment on American politics. In his early works, Reed used postmodern aesthetics to destabilize common assumptions about race and politics. Today, Reed continues to grapple with racial inequality, but he has shifted away from postmodern fiction producing mostly essays and reviews. Reed’s use of various mediums to protest political injustice blurs the line between politics and literature. In this thesis, I will use a textual analysis of Reed’s novel Flight to Canada, interviews with Reed, and literary criticism to argue that Reed utilizes the concept of multiplicity (the state of being various) to impart a political message that adapts to changing political climates. In turn, Reed’s work is intended to influence the reader’s sense of political efficacy by emphasizing the political power of the individual.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Janeen Elizabeth, "POLITICAL EFFICACY AND POSTMODERN MULTIPLICITY IN ISHMAEL REED’S FLIGHT TO CANADA" (2014). Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019. 199.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_honors_2/199
Extent
59 p.
Identifier
FA00003629
Comments
Includes bibliography.