Folklore Theses and Dissertations

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Browsing Folklore Theses and Dissertations by Author "Carpenter, Sarah Gerina"

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    Narratives of a Fall: Star Wars Fan Fiction Writers Interpret Anakin Skywalker's Story
    (University of Oregon, 2011-09) Carpenter, Sarah Gerina
    My thesis examines Star Wars fan fiction about Anakin Skywalker posted on the popular blogging platform LiveJournal. I investigate the folkloric qualities of such posts and analyze the ways in which fans through narrative generate systems of meaning, engage in performative expressions of gender identity, resistance, and festival, and create transformative works within the present cultural milieu. My method has been to follow the posts of several Star Wars fans on LiveJournal who are active in posting fan fiction and who frequently respond to one another's posts, thereby creating a network of community interaction. I find that fans construct systems of meaning through complex interactions with a network of cultural sources, that each posting involves multiple layers of performance, and that these works frequently act as parody, critique, and commentary on not just the official materials but on the cultural climate that produced and has been influenced by them.