What secrets become : a daughter's longing

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Authors
Stewart, DeNeisha S.
Advisor
Christman, Jill, 1969-
Issue Date
2020-05-02
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (M.A.)
Department
Department of English
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Abstract

“What Secrets Become: A Daughter’s Longing” is a personal essay that explores the consequences of hiding a trauma for twenty years. This essay looks closely at the trauma I experienced as a six-year-old Black girl in the backwoods of Mississippi and for years after. Framed by my work as a childcare provider, this essay also looks at my relationship with my mother and explores the way secrets create a culture of hiding from the world. My hiding looked like gaining weight to create a shelter around myself, a method that cut me off from my dreams, because when we hide from others, we also hide from ourselves. My hope is that the reader finds grace for children carrying around secrets they aren’t quite ready to share.