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A derivative of light

Title:

A derivative of light

Jessup, Heather (2005) A derivative of light. Masters thesis, Concordia University.

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Abstract

A Derivative of Light is a prose-fiction account of Cold War Canada chronicled through the narrative of the Jacobs family, living in Malton, Ontario during the production of the CF-105 AVRO Arrow interceptor plane. The pivotal events in this family's life unfold in juxtaposition with broader international and national crises: the launch of Sputnik from the Baikanor Cosmodrome in Russia on October 4 th 1957, heralding the beginning of The Missile Age; and the cancellation of the CF-105 project on February 20 th , 1959 by Prime Minister Diefenbaker, subsequently unemploying Peter, the patriarch of the Jacobs family, along with 20,000 other skilled labourers. On October 4 th 1957, the day of both Sputnik's launch and the CF-105s roll-out, Lucy Jacobs appears mysteriously in a field during a thunderstorm. A priest finds her pregnant, unconscious and suffering from burns. Peter must then cope with his wife's hospitalization, the care of his children, and eventually, the loss of his job. The children of the Jacobs family: Kier, Andrew and Rose, grow up within the physical and cultural restrictions of a Toronto suburban setting at a time when the infinite force of nature and science---such as Lucy's brush with lightning, the expansive possibility of the CF-105 Arrow project, space and space-flight---further embody the paradoxes and pondering of the novel's themes: what does ordering and organization do against the vastness and randomness of spectacular technological and natural occurrences. A Derivative of Light spans the period from 1945 to 2001 and is divided structurally into two sections. This M.A. thesis is the first half of those two sections.

Divisions:Concordia University > Faculty of Arts and Science > English
Item Type:Thesis (Masters)
Authors:Jessup, Heather
Pagination:vi, 125 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.
Institution:Concordia University
Degree Name:M.A.
Program:English
Date:2005
Thesis Supervisor(s):Sterns, Kate
Identification Number:LE 3 C66E54M 2005 J47
ID Code:8778
Deposited By: Concordia University Library
Deposited On:18 Aug 2011 18:35
Last Modified:13 Jul 2020 20:05
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