This research traces the cultural significance of chairs. It examines the ways in which chairs are used to create and reinforce boundaries between individuals and/or groups of people within various social contexts. Gender, racial, and socio-economic factors were among the major chair-related divisions explored. Building from the cultural interpretation of chairs, the thesis moves towards a close reading of the chairs that are located in several literary texts, including Lady Audley's Secret, Invisible Man, and "The Human Chair", a short story by Japanese writer Edogawa Rampo.

Thesis (M.A.) - Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of EnglishIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 50-51)