First Advisor

Diana Abu-Jaber

Term of Graduation

Spring 1999

Date of Publication

5-3-1999

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.) in English

Department

English

Language

English

Physical Description

1 online resource (226 pages)

Abstract

This novel is set in the fictional town of Snug Harbor, Alaska - a small south-coastal fishing village. The beauty and ruggedness of the natural environment constantly inform the movements of the purse seining fleet, the local businesses, and, especially, the people. The characters' connections and experiences with the land and sea scapes are integral to how they perceive their internal worlds. As the seasons progress quickly from the opening chapter of the spring equinox, the arrival of light augments the townspeople's activities.

The novel alternately is told through the third person viewpoints of two protagonists, who both tend to hang onto memories of the past in order to create their identities in the present moment. For these characters, some memories are kept alive through narration, while others seem too terrible to retell. The balance of both protagonists' lives is altered, however, when a young woman from "Outside" comes to town. Her presence is the catalyst for the unfolding of personal histories.

As the story spans to the autumn equinox, the natural environment remains true to itself, while the protagonists are prodded to reevaluate their notions about family, identity, and responsibility, as well as to determine how they will look out to their futures. In Moorings, the characters make their way by the mountains and the water, recognizing passages in their lives from specific places, and relating the personal changes that occur to the external workings of their surroundings.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44624

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