Matthew Smith is a first year MA student in the Renaissance Strode Program in English. His research interests include theology, philosophy and political theory, but he focuses on the role of language and reason in establishing a social identity. He hails from Atlanta, GA and received his BA in English from the University of North Georgia. While at North Georgia, he received two departmental awards, including the Simone de Beauvoir Award: Excellence in Gender Studies, and he presented multiple papers at the Georgia’s Undergraduate Research Symposium, including one on King Lear.