Peyton Harris E-Portfolio
About me
"I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am."
-Sylvia Plath
I am a fourth-year English major at the University of Florida. Through my coursework and experiences in research, education, and journalism, I seek to create change through storytelling and humanistic research. My primary research interests are in religion and popular culture, particularly film.
Research
Spring 2023
The Fetishization of Christian Martyrdom: A Case Study on Columbine
Supervisor: Dr. Anna Peterson, University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Department of Religion
Produced as a part of the University Research Scholars Program (URSP)
Research Responsibility: As the primary student researcher on this manuscript, I was responsible for the creation and primary research analysis of this paper.
Research Focus: Martyrdom in Christianity has been extensively researched, but this study examines its fetishization within modern acts of violence, such as school shootings. This paper examines the fantasy of martyrdom in the 1990s and the cultural influence of Columbine shooting victims Rachel Scott and Cassie Bernall. Their influence can be linked to shifts in Christian teen culture. This research contributes to the extant research on the intersections of religion and violence.
Major Coursework
Hebrew Bible as Literature, Children's Literature, Law, Literature, and Film, Adolescent Literature, African American Women & Cult Critique, Honors Seminar: 19th Century African American Women Writers, Feminist Science Fiction
Minor Coursework
Religion and Social Change, Ethics in America, Introduction to Buddhism.
Coursework
Writing Portfolio