Senior Theses

Publication Date

5-27-2011

Document Type

Thesis (Open Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing

Department

English

Faculty Advisor(s)

Anna Keesey

Subject Categories

English Language and Literature | Fiction

Abstract

The story of Sophía Annalicia Maria Martin, or Sam, as she likes to be called, is a coming of age novel. Being an Oreo focuses on the lessons Sam learns in the summer she turns thirteen. She begins her story by telling readers the story about her loud and boisterous Mexican family. She introduces readers to a colorful set of characters and their wild antics, and how she often finds herself stuck in the middle of them. The sensation of being “stuck in the middle” is a phenomenon that Sam faces throughout the book. Readers watch as she struggles to navigate through issues the novel presents in its pages, such as becoming a teenage girl, interracial marriages, racism, eating disorders, alcoholism, self-identity, cultural identity, love, friendship and most importantly, the meaning of family.

In writing this story, I struggled to find Sam’s voice, among all the other voices in the story, and to let her desires and motivations come through. I don’t know if I succeeded. I also know I left a lot of room for improvement. I’m definitely not finished with this novel, but it is a good start, and I'm happy with what I have tried to accomplish.

Being an Oreo is a story I started imagining since the summer after my first year of college. But I believe this story has been with me, and a part of me, much longer than that. These characters and their stories have been taking shape in my mind for a long time, and it feels immensely good to finally craft their identities into a solidified story.

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