Memoir of a Nobody: Identity in Pursuit of Legacy

A 2012 study found that “fame for its own sake” was the most popular future goal among a group of ten- to twelve-year-old’s, trumping aspirations for wealth or a sense of community. The thesis examines the human urge to “matter” in the context of technologies that facilitate the average person’s quest for stardom. On a platform like YouTube, for example, anyone could amass an audience of millions and sustain mass friendships of one-way intimacy.

Through a creative and academic perspective, the thesis explores the psychology behind and the ramifications of lusting after fame and legacy. The creative component is the first part (six chapters) of a novel, Memoir of a Nobody. Jamie, the main character, is a university senior majoring in Content (on the Realness & Relatability track) who tries to become “somebody” in a futuristic world dominated by influencers and, to an absurd extent, the You® conglomerate. When she is rejected from the “Hall of Humanity,” an influencer’s project to exhibit the day-to-day lives of “regular people” to his massive audience, Jamie will stop at nothing to get seen on her own. As she increasingly obsesses over broadcasting her “true” life, she begins to question whether it’s possible to project any real image for public consumption.

The academic component is an accompanying treatise addressing five questions—regarding fame, legacy, and identity—with which I engaged while researching for and writing my creative thesis.