Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
English
Date of Award
5-2002
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Roberta Herrin
Committee Members
William Douglas Burgess Jr., Sonya H. Cashdan
Abstract
In the last twenty years, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series has become very popular. Pratchett's success hinges in part on his use of allusion, in what Tolkien called the "Cauldron of Story," and what Pratchett refers to as "white knowledge." This paper explores the Discworld novels and illustrates Pratchett's use and success of storytelling through a few key directions: folk tales, fantasy literature, movies, and rock music.
Pratchett has received limited critical review, mostly of a negative nature, while producing a strong literary series, one crafted with both obvious and subtle recognition of his genre's sources. While standing on the shoulders of giants, Pratchett both respects and scrutinizes the myths and stories that construct our reality. Critically, Pratchett's fiction deserves more respect and closer study; this paper attempts to give him his due.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Abbott, William Thomas, "White Knowledge and the Cauldron of Story: The Use of Allusion in Terry Pratchett's Discworld." (2002). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 630. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/630
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.