Abstract:
This thesis consists of a collection of personal
essays with interconnecting themes. The title, Aspiration,
suggests a desire for high achievement and also reflects
the metaphor of breathing, which serves to tie the
collection together. Breathing is a physiological function
that is subject to both voluntary and involuntary control,
and the same mysterious interplay seems to shape our lives
as we negotiate the choices we have and the circumstances
that arise despite our will. Part I of the collection
contains essays about my family and the loss of a loved
one, while Part II explores the more purposeful aspects of
aspiration, such as choices I make about independence and
pursuing physical challenges. I've elected to write a
creative nonfiction thesis because it serves to demonstrate
my performance in the area of composition and also allows
me to incorporate themes from the other areas of my MAIS
degree: speech communication and exercise psychology.
