Semester of Graduation
Spring 2026
Degree Name
Masters of Arts
Department
English
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Andrew Plattner
Second Advisor
Garrard Conley
Abstract
The Last Day is a moral tale about how one immoral choice can metastasize into ruin, tracing two stepbrothers’ diverging paths—one toward self-destruction, the other toward redemption—and the inevitable reckoning that follows. Set in a small Southern town, the main character, Luke Martin, must navigate his self-pity and anger as a policeman with greater ambitions. He is trapped by his duty to his invalid mother, not out of love but out of obligation. His choice elevates him for a time but inevitably leads to his tragic downfall, brought on by his stepbrother, Don, who aims to reclaim what Luke has taken from him.