Abstract:
Inspired by the Indian philosopher and writer Jiddu Krishnamurti’s quote, “It is no measure of
health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society,” my thesis – a chapbook containing
poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction – focuses more on what it means to be well adjusted
to our society, than it does accusing it of being ill. The text asks readers to question what notifies
us of our entrance into adulthood, why we attempt to scrub ourselves of flaws trying to get there,
and what might be the best way to view and use our time on Earth. This project intends to offer
characters and poetic voices that are prevented from being well-adjusted to society, for one
reason or another, to demonstrate what the quest for growth might really mean, and why
expressing our imperfections might be a more suitable human pursuit for us to consider.
