Author: Stephen  Thomas  Krichels

Major: English & Political Science

Graduation Year: 2018

Thesis Advisor: Kristin Vekasi

Description of Publication: The aim of To Speak In The Cave is to provide some insight regarding how the Chinese government allows its citizens to voice their opinions, while simultaneously alienating the audience from existing bias. To this end the narrative avoids any Chinese characteristics that are not fundamental to China’s treatment of its citizens as it pertains to their public voice. All names are Western, as are job titles and any cultural aspects of the narrative world that are not related to the allegory being created throughout the story. The protagonist of the story, Jerg, is a dissociated and down on his luck reporter, who inadvertently becomes involved with the production and distribution of books that have been banned by the government. The two illegal texts that enter the story are the Qaran, and an entirely fictional work geared towards effectively inciting public decent. The mannerisms and decisions of the characters are designed to give the clearest representation possible of how real world China functions regarding freedom of speech while still maintaining the separation from bias and the entertainment value of a standard novella.

Location of Publication:

URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/341