<em>Waiting for Mary Jane</em>: A Collection of Modern Appalachian Short Stories in the Joycean Tradition.

• Main Author: Wright, Lorie Ann
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2002
• Subjects: Creative Writing; James Joyce; Arts and Humanities; English Language and Literature
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/700; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1857&amp;context=etd

This thesis consists of a collection of short stories stylistically reminiscent of the works of James Joyce yet with an Appalachian and feminist voice. Waiting for Mary Jane should appeal to readers interested in experimental styles as well as feminist and Appalachian literature. The protagonist of the collection is Mary Jane, a female from present day East Tennessee. The reader experiences her life from age three to thirty. The introduction to the collection explores the link between James Joyce, Appalachia, Feminist writing, and the short stories. Structurally and thematically the collection reflects the works of James Joyce by using the concept of epiphany and experimental styles evolving from Joyce's Ulysses. As Mary Jane ages she changes from a pre-teen who longs for male acceptance from all surrounding men, including her farmer father, to a grown woman whose mental well-being is far more important than her outward appearance.