Necromancing Mary
Date
2023
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Haverford College. Department of English
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Thesis
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The Terry M. Kreiger 1969 Memorial Prize
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eng
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Open Access
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Abstract
Inspired by Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, this collection of poems explores the meaning of monstrosity in contrast to innocence, beauty, and civilization in three parts. Riddled with references to childhood games and nursery rhymes, these poems are haunted by the innocence associated with childhood as they wrestle with the anxieties of Mari Lam as she considers what her role as a soon-to-be mother holds. “Part I: The Innocent and Hapless Creature” reflects on childhood and familial relationships, followed by an exploration of monstrosity in its psychological and societal manifestations in “Part II: I Am Thy Creature.” “Part III: A Human Being in Perfection” then attempts to reconcile these subjects, in a series of reflections relating the self to the environment. By conjoining topics such as spirituality and nature with science and justice, "Necromancing Mary" pays homage to the themes of Frankenstein while emphasizing the nuances between the sacred and destructive potentials of the mind. Poems focus on internal reflections of selfdoubt and private moments between Mari and her mother, father, and husband. In doing so, it also realizes the inevitable influence of social constructs— particularly gender—on selfhood. Influenced by poets like Kimiko Hahn, Hayden Carruth, and Anne Carson as well as theories from Donna Haraway and Julia Kristeva, these poems attempt to step back from ideological dichotomies to acknowledge and work through the anxieties that exist between and outside them.