BY

dissertation would have not been possible without the support and help from many individuals in many different ways over the past seven years. My deepest gratitude goes first and foremost to my advisor, Professor Ann Waltner, for her relentless support and instruction. She has advised me through all the stages in my pursuit of doctoral degree at the University of Minnesota. Without her considerate guidance and consistent encouragement, this dissertation could not have reached its present form. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Edward Farmer, who has always given me intelligent and enlightening advice on my research and writing and the difficulties I encountered at the defining moments in my life. K-wok, Lucky Dragon, and Chai’s Thai became places that have stored all the lovely memory about the discussions and debates between us during many lunch times. I am also greatly indebted to Professor M. J. Maynes, who has witnessed the birth and completion of my dissertation project, from its embryonic form as a term paper to its final product as a 400-page dissertation. In thi