Date of Completion

12-2002

Document Type

Open Access Capstone

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

First Advisor

Peter Taylor

Second Advisor

Nina Greenwald

Abstract

This synthesis explores the value and possibility of using Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory to inform the development of hero archetypes for use as protagonists in my original fictional fantasy series entitled The Colorsong Prophecy. These seven books, in the process of being written, are intended to provide adolescent readers with strong hero models that mirror the intellectual diversity of their own population and promote a new mythology of nonviolence that depicts nonviolent choices as mighty in their own right. I relate this literary work-in-progress to the foundational theories upon which it is based, examining the relevant literature from the domains that investigate the human experience – Psychology, Philosophy, Anthropology, Sociology, Folklore, and Education. Theoretical works considered include Gardner’s (1983) Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Kohlberg’s (1980) Stages of Moral Development as a Basis for Moral Education, Campbell’s (1949) The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and Jung’s (1969) The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. Later, I also explore the essential elements of good fiction, identify the target audience for this literary work-in-progress, and present examples of the manifestation of these theories by examining excerpts from and plans for the first book of The Colorsong Prophecy, and by discussing the development of the six subsequent books. Lastly, I reflect upon the creative process of writing these fantasy novels, and communicate my hopes and plans for the future completion of The Colorsong Prophecy. Sample chapters from the first book are included in the Appendix of this paper.

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