How does Yaa Gyasi’s Transcendent Kingdom explore the interplay between religious faith and scientific inquiry in shaping the coping mechanisms for grief and trauma within the context of Gifty’s personal and familial struggles, particularly against the backdrop of the opioid epidemic and cultural identity?

This semester, I participated in a seminar focused on the opioid crisis in the United States, where we primarily discussed the Sackler family and the drug OxyContin. To start, we covered the basics and background information on the crisis. Following this, we delved into various books that highlighted individual stories impacted by the epidemic. One of these books was “Transcendent Kingdom,” which I plan to focus on for my research paper. After consulting with my professor, I decided to explore the internal struggle of the protagonist, Gifty, particularly how her experiences are shaped by the interplay of religion and science. My professor advised me to ensure that my analysis remains objective and scholarly, avoiding a meta-analysis approach. She suggested that I focus on themes such as grief, cultural background, Gifty’s Reward-Seeking Behavior and Coping Mechanisms and narrative structure. I haven’t finalized the exact structure of my paper yet, but I believe that incorporating a close reading section with a detailed analysis could strengthen my argument, as this method was emphasized in our seminar. I’m open to any suggestions, including refining the research question. I’ll also upload the necessary guidelines and documents concerning the format and structure. Thank you in advance for your assistance. Please revise the following instruction to align with the uploaded style sheet and ensure the research paper is structured according to the guidelines provided. Consider including a close reading of a passage that highlights a key point. Be sure to check up with me when you need any more information.

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