A Better Life
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Fine Arts
Major
Creative Writing
Date of Defense
4-16-2012
Graduate Advisor
John Dalton, MFA
Committee
Troy, Mary
Irwin, Glenn
Abstract
Abstract A Better Life is a novel set in the near future where organ transplantation is a multi-million dollar industry. In the “Adoption” process, teenagers from Third World countries are brought to the United States for a year. After the year is up and the surgery is performed, the Adoptee is sent back home with a very large cash payment. The protagonist, a woman named Eva, is not a supporter of the industry but is in need of a kidney transplant so she adopts a young teenage girl named Amita from India. The novel follows Eva as she struggles to adapt her everyday life to her new Adoptee while attempting to come to terms with her role as a Foster. Themes explored include letting go of the past, the necessity of adjusting to a rapidly evolving future, the harshness of a biological world, the indefinable relationships between loved ones, and the inner conflicts each of us faces when making profound and difficult decisions.
Recommended Citation
Chou, Jessica L., "A Better Life" (2012). Theses. 76.
https://irl.umsl.edu/thesis/76