Date of Award

2025-05-01

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

Creative Writing

Advisor(s)

Daniel Chacon

Abstract

A change of life baby, Liz was born to poor, middle-aged Mexican American parents who didn't want the same things in life that she wanted. Generational trauma, internalized racism, and family dysfunction permeated her psyche and crippled her self-worth sending her into the fantasy worlds she created in her head. She managed to escape her family through marriage at nineteen years old, quickly realizing she had traded family dysfunction for marital dysfunction. But, then, an affair with a man more than twenty years her junior forced her to face the reality of her marriage. Newly divorced and finally free to make a life of her own, she faces the monumental task of becoming the sole caregiver to her elderly mother, diagnosed with dementia-related psychosis. The years that followed tested her limits with her mother's bizarre behaviors. She ultimately fulfills a lifelong dream and discovers a part of herself that she never knew existed, giving her the courage to create the life she always wanted. On a random morning jog in the park, an unexpected life-changing shift happens when Lizita meets Liz.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

204 p.

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Elizabeth Shannon

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