Honors Theses (English)

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Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in contemporary fiction
(University of Oregon, 2006-06) Le Chevallier, Anne Marie
Called apparitions, the widespread phenomenon of appearances of Mary has been reported to occur since the apostle St. James the Greater roamed Spain, and it continues to this day. A folklore and following has developed surrounding her apparitions to the laity, poor, uneducated and young occurring, especially, in modem times. Contemporary authors have reinterpreted Mary and these apparitions in order to explore and understand their meaning. This thesis reviews both the history of Marian devotion and theology, and it narrates major, modem apparitions. It further examines how apparitions of Mary are portrayed in the three contemporary novels Our Lady of the Lost and Found by Diane Schoemperlen, Bernardo and the Virgin by Silvio Sirias and Our Lady of the Forest by David Guterson. These novels show the traditional representations of Mary and how this tradition is reinterpreted in a post-modem and contemporary lens: they portray the suffering and liberation of the characters and author through their relationship with Mary.