Casimir, UlrickBayerl, CorinneColson, Emily2023-08-182023-08-182023https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2865841 pagesIn this thesis I will examine a type of fictional novel that uses a technique termed the “preemptive ending.” Books with a preemptive ending are those which begin their story by informing the reader of the ending of the story. To explore this type of fiction, I will develop three categories of books that utilize a preemptive ending, each category developed by analyzing one book that is exemplary of its respective category. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera exemplifies novels that tell the reader the ending by announcing it at the start of a book. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston exemplifies novels that show the reader the ending of a book. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller exemplifies novels that assume the audience already knows the ending of the book based on their cultural knowledge. Through the study of these texts I will explore how preemptive endings can be utilized to accentuate and effect the theming, tension, and arc of a story.en-USCC BY-NC-ND 4.0LiteratureEnglishNarrativeLiterary StructureThesis/Dissertation0009-0007-8633-8836