91视频

91视频 alumna Brittni Cebulak recently was recognized for her dissertation on Margaret Atwood novels by an international association that celebrates the famous author鈥檚 work.

Cebulak, of Hermann, who attended 91视频 from 2014-16, received the 2020 鈥淏est Dissertation on Atwood and Her Work Award鈥� from the Margaret Atwood Society.

Cebulak鈥檚 dissertation, 鈥淔ood, Consumption, and Nostalgia in Atwood鈥檚 MaddAddam Trilogy鈥� was developed for her master鈥檚 degree in English studies at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.

Atwood is a Canadian poet, novelist, and activist who penned, 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale,鈥� 鈥淭he Blind Assassin鈥� and many more novels, poems and essays.

According to Cebulak, her thesis takes a 鈥渇ood studies and consumption studies approach鈥� in the analysis of Atwood鈥檚 trilogy.

鈥淚t is about how our consumption habits, framed from nostalgia from the past, and how it connects to our reality,鈥� she said.

According to Cebulak, food and consumption studies is an emerging field in literary studies that is becoming increasingly significant as people confront food shortages, obesity, climate change and environmental destruction.

She added that 鈥淭he MaddAddam鈥� trilogy is dystopian fiction that depicts humanity bringing about its own destruction through corporate globalism and overconsumption.

Winning the Award

Cebulak said the thesis writing process was grueling and time-consuming, but worth it after the project was completed.

鈥淭he thesis writing 鈥� and re-writing, and re-re-rewriting 鈥� process was so difficult emotionally and intellectually,鈥� she said.

鈥淭here were times when I just wanted the project to be over so I could forget about it and move on with my life,鈥� Cebulak added. 鈥淚 didn’t think it could get any better than the feeling of achievement and relief I experienced after passing my thesis defense.鈥�

That鈥檚 until she learned her thesis was award-worthy by professional Atwood literary scholars, Cebulak further added.

鈥淲inning the Margaret Atwood Society Award is a complete honor,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t was truly validating for all of the time and effort I put into reading, researching and writing my master鈥檚 thesis project,鈥� Cebulak commented. 鈥淚t made me feel like my work actually meant something more besides being a means to the end of getting my master鈥檚 degree.鈥�

She said it was a 鈥渞eally great feeling鈥� to learn her work adds to a scholarly conversation of Atwood鈥檚 writing in correlation to food studies, environmentalism, consumption and climate change.

Studying at 91视频

Cebulak noted that she developed a deeper understanding of literature though analysis and criticism while enrolled in classes at 91视频 such as creative non-fiction writing and philosophy.

鈥淚n many ways, I think my time at 91视频 definitely built the foundation for where I ended up going later on in my education,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 really enjoyed the thought-provoking questions that would arise in Leigh Kolb’s courses during class discussions regarding things like religion, race, gender or sexuality.

鈥淎t the time, the fact that these kinds of conversations could take place in a classroom was a completely foreign concept to me,鈥� Cebulak added. 鈥淏ut over time I think I began to embrace the feeling of being uncomfortable in order to dig deeper into myself in an attempt to reconcile my own understandings 鈥攁nd misunderstandings 鈥� of how the human condition is experienced by individuals who are both similar and different from me.鈥�