Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

5-2020

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

English

Degree Program

English, MA

Committee Chair

Johnson, Timothy

Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)

Schneider, Stephen

Committee Member

Schneider, Stephen

Committee Member

Swinehart, Karl

Author's Keywords

dark tourism; legend; liminality; heterotopia; space; belief

Abstract

This thesis is a historical and theoretical analysis of touristic motivations behind visiting dark tourist attractions that uses two Louisville, Kentucky attractions as case-studies. It begins by providing an overview of concepts relevant to the analysis of these motivations including liminality, dark tourism, and legend studies, thereby drawing connections between these concepts to develop a framework for the analysis of these liminal spaces and the legends that surround them. It uses these theories to build a framework that argues for the inclusion of legend studies in the conversation of dark tourism and providing a new lens for viewing touristic motivation for visiting dark attractions, and allowing for a deeper understanding of the act of dark tourism. The thesis is divided into two chapters—the first covering an overview of the theoretical backing exploring liminality, dark tourism, and legend studies before putting these theories into practice in a mini-case study that analyzes the Pope Lick Trestle and the legends of a monster that is said to stalk the location. The second chapter applies what was done in chapter one to the study of Waverly Hills Sanatorium, an abandoned tuberculosis hospital with a dark history of death, despair, and legends that highlight aspects of the human experience that can only be had in these liminal locations that lie on the boundary of death.Keywords: Dark Tourism; Legend; Liminality; Belief; Space; Heterotopia

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