Mandala Springs

Authors

Juleen CollinsFollow

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Major/Program

Creative Writing

First Advisor's Name

Debra Dean

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee chair

Second Advisor's Name

John Dufresne

Second Advisor's Committee Title

committee member

Third Advisor's Name

Vernon Dickson

Third Advisor's Committee Title

committee member

Keywords

fiction, novel, creative writing, mental illness, theatre

Date of Defense

3-22-2018

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS MANDALA SPRINGS by Juleen Collins Florida International University, 2018 Miami, Florida Professor Debra Dean, Major Professor MANDALA SPRINGS is the small town setting for a story that explores the nature of secrets, lies, revelations, and the damage each can cause. The narrative follows Bodhi MacLachlan, a young woman who struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder, back to the psychiatric hospital where she has resided in-patient multiple times. The long-term association with her psychiatrist becomes complicated when she reveals details of her affair with a secretive man. Meanwhile, she becomes obsessed with uncovering the mysteries of the relationship between a new patient, Scott, and his much younger sister, Ollie, to whom he is guardian. As Bodhi proceeds, she unintentionally but irreparably damages her relationships with each of these characters. Ultimately, she must come to terms with the consequences of her actions. To reflect the complicated, upside down world of psychiatric illness, the story is written in the hybrid form of a playscript-novel.

Identifier

FIDC006556

Recommended Citation

Collins, Juleen, "Mandala Springs" (2018). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3654.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/3654