First I want to thank my committee for all of their valuable commentary and guidance: my Chair, Dr. Mark Blum, who is an inspiration to me both as a scholar and more importantly as a human being; Dr. Annette Allen, who always encouraged my creativity no matter what (quirky) form it took; Dr. Nancy Potter, who kept me on the straight and narrow with caring and tough love; and Dr. Steven Skaggs, who changed my perspective at just the right moment. Their support and patience meant everything to me. Also, many others at the University of Louisville provided me with inspiration and encouragement in so many ways, including Professor Elaine Wise and Dr. Shelley Salamensky, as well as my fellow graduate students Julie Marie Wade, Amy Tudor, and especially Carol Stewart, who was a real friend when I needed one most. In addition I want to thank Tina Wells, my sister, who survived hearing all about this dissertation (and everything else) on a daily basis and actually managed to sound interested the whole time. Finally, it goes without saying (though I'll state his name anyway) that I owe the most to Elijah Pritchett, my favorite interlocutor (I hate that word) and my very good friend (ahem), who has always been just enough to drive me crazy.