K. M. Cullen - Abstract

I have decided to write an apocalyptic short story. My narrative includes references, in varying degrees of subtlety, to theory of the following (in no particular order): The Abject, The Mirror Stage, The Panopticon, A Note On The Unconscious, Differance, The Social Text, and elements of many others.

The story is not one of blatant apocalypse; the physical world does not end. Instead, as an old man grieves over his wife, his world ends while the days go on around him.
The difficulty of the assignment lies most strongly in keeping the narrative in Harold's voice, while still purposely including elements of theory. I tried to keep the narrative as seamless as possible, and retain the references to theory as strongly as possible.

The story confronts consciousness in the face of loss, agoraphobia in the imagination of the panopticon victim, and humanity life in defiance of the imagination. It is wholly depressing--after all, the world does end. The story also wrestles with life as a text, and an attempt to read one's consciousness and imagination in conjunction with literary symbolism, and the degeneration of the mind when placed in such a parallel.

I hope it works.

Good luck with finals, everyone! :)