This thesis is composed of three original short stories and a critical analysis of them. "Tricentennial Seaweed Stories: is a comic tale of the future, set in twenty-first century America. "Cousins" is concerned with the conflicting religious views of three young adults. "A Vacation in Utah" examines the psychological and social pressures which bring the protagonist near to committing homicide. The first story is narrated in an omniscient voice, the second in an objective voice, and the last in first person. The critical analysis examines the fictional elements in the stories, including plot, character development, theme, and narrative point of view. This analysis expresses an opinion upon the degree of success achieved in each short story in terms of style and content.

The problem discusses the influence that tea trade between England and China may have had on eighteenth-century English garden architecture and aesthetics. Five chapters include an historical overview of non-Oriental influences on the garden, the relationship between Britain and China, the evolution of the tea trade, the motifs and decoration of tea wares, and a summary with conclusions. Conclusions reached were that tea was responsible for importation of porcelains in Britain, architectural structures in the garden were inspired by scenes on tea wares, predilection for Chinese motifs in the minds of the English may have resulted from their drinking tea, and it seems probable that affected garden aesthetics but there is no conclusive evidence.