Abstract:
The five short stories included in this thesis depict characters who struggle as they try to balance their responsibilities to each other, and their own independent desires. Whether those desires include personal freedom, another relationship, or self-protection, these characters are at least minimally aware that obtaining what they most want may have a negative impact on those closest to them. Many times, the cost of maintaining the lives they've constructed is too great, and the characters have no other choice but to try to change, regardless of the consequences. At other times, resisting the demands of their relationships is what threatens to destroy them.
