Facets of the American Dream and American Nightmare in Film

Facets of the American Dream and American Nightmare in Film

Author: Jessica Narloch

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2008-10

Total Pages: 105

ISBN-13: 364018145X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Thesis (M.A.) from the year 2008 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Other, grade: 1,7, University of Duisburg-Essen, 60 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: "Predictively, any attempt at abstracting from the plethora of relevant publications something even faintly resembling a definition of the 'Dream' is doomed to failure." Peter Freese As Peter Freese precisely points out, defining the American Dream is a difficult if not irresolvable task. The reason for this is that "beyond an abstract belief in possibility, there is no one American Dream." Nevertheless, it is easy to find short definitions in various encyclopedias. In The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language it is defined as " a]n American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire: "In the deepening gloom of the Depression, the American Dream represented a reaffirmation of traditional American hopes."' The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy offers a different definition: " a] phrase connoting hope for prosperity and happiness, symbolized particularly by having a house of one's own. Possibly applied at first to the hopes of immigrants, the phrase now applies to all except the very rich and suggests a confident hope that one's children's economic and social condition will be better than one's own." A rather short and simple explanation of the term American Dream can be found in the dictionary WordNet by the Princeton University which says that it is "the widespread aspiration of Americans to live better than their parents did." All of these definitions describe various facets of the dream, but none of them gets to the point. In order to get an idea of what the dream really is or what it is assumed to be and how the idea of it came up, it is necessary to have a look at American history. The recapitulation in this work will make an attempt to reveal why it is the American dream and how it is related to American national id


Book Synopsis Facets of the American Dream and American Nightmare in Film by : Jessica Narloch

Download or read book Facets of the American Dream and American Nightmare in Film written by Jessica Narloch and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2008-10 with total page 105 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thesis (M.A.) from the year 2008 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Other, grade: 1,7, University of Duisburg-Essen, 60 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: "Predictively, any attempt at abstracting from the plethora of relevant publications something even faintly resembling a definition of the 'Dream' is doomed to failure." Peter Freese As Peter Freese precisely points out, defining the American Dream is a difficult if not irresolvable task. The reason for this is that "beyond an abstract belief in possibility, there is no one American Dream." Nevertheless, it is easy to find short definitions in various encyclopedias. In The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language it is defined as " a]n American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire: "In the deepening gloom of the Depression, the American Dream represented a reaffirmation of traditional American hopes."' The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy offers a different definition: " a] phrase connoting hope for prosperity and happiness, symbolized particularly by having a house of one's own. Possibly applied at first to the hopes of immigrants, the phrase now applies to all except the very rich and suggests a confident hope that one's children's economic and social condition will be better than one's own." A rather short and simple explanation of the term American Dream can be found in the dictionary WordNet by the Princeton University which says that it is "the widespread aspiration of Americans to live better than their parents did." All of these definitions describe various facets of the dream, but none of them gets to the point. In order to get an idea of what the dream really is or what it is assumed to be and how the idea of it came up, it is necessary to have a look at American history. The recapitulation in this work will make an attempt to reveal why it is the American dream and how it is related to American national id

The american dream and the american nightmare in literature by William D. Howells and Henry James

The american dream and the american nightmare in literature by William D. Howells and Henry James

Author: Carolina Hein

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2008-06-19

Total Pages: 16

ISBN-13: 3638065766

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,7, University of Constance, language: English, abstract: This term paper deals with the origin of the American Dream, with the American Nightmare and with the two novels "The Rise of Silas Lapham" written by William D. Howell (1885) and "The American" by Henry James (1877). The term paper mainly concentrates on the main characters and their social life and shows that the protagonists, who live the way that the term “American Dream” implies, experience the seamy side of the American Dream. The American Dream has a long history which goes back several hundred years. For some people the American Dream might stand for property, for others it might be the image of freedom and equality. By all means, the American Dream promises a more comfortable life and the realization of the deepest dreams. But reality can turn the American Dream into the American Nightmare. Searching for a well paid job to raise their standards of living, people acknowledge that it is difficult to move up the economic ladder. Longing for equal opportunity, people face discrimination due to their race or social class. This term paper deals with the origin of the American Dream and two novels The Rise of Silas Lapham written by William D. Howell, originally published in 1885, and The American by Henry James published in 1877. The term paper mainly concentrates on the main characters and their social life and shows that the protagonists, who live the way that the term “American Dream” implies, experience the seamy side of the American Dream. Before Europeans had moved to the new continent, the first immigrants living in America were Asians (Jordan, Winthrop D./Leon F. Litwack. The United States, Conquering a Continent Volume 1. California: North West, 2003: 1). In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered an unknown continent which was named “America” after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Reports of America visitors connected the impression of America with “a paradise on earth” and the “El Dorado” and thus attracted people (Freese, Peter. The American Dream and the American Nightmare: General Aspects and Literary Examples. Paderborner Universitätsreden 7. Paderborn: Universität-Gesamthochschule, 1987: 8). Terrible and dangerous life situations, daily suffered by men and women during the “Protestant Reformation”, forced victims of “religious persecution” to flee the countries (Freese 1987: 10). Searching for protection, they moved from the “Old World” to the “New World” (15).


Book Synopsis The american dream and the american nightmare in literature by William D. Howells and Henry James by : Carolina Hein

Download or read book The american dream and the american nightmare in literature by William D. Howells and Henry James written by Carolina Hein and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2008-06-19 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,7, University of Constance, language: English, abstract: This term paper deals with the origin of the American Dream, with the American Nightmare and with the two novels "The Rise of Silas Lapham" written by William D. Howell (1885) and "The American" by Henry James (1877). The term paper mainly concentrates on the main characters and their social life and shows that the protagonists, who live the way that the term “American Dream” implies, experience the seamy side of the American Dream. The American Dream has a long history which goes back several hundred years. For some people the American Dream might stand for property, for others it might be the image of freedom and equality. By all means, the American Dream promises a more comfortable life and the realization of the deepest dreams. But reality can turn the American Dream into the American Nightmare. Searching for a well paid job to raise their standards of living, people acknowledge that it is difficult to move up the economic ladder. Longing for equal opportunity, people face discrimination due to their race or social class. This term paper deals with the origin of the American Dream and two novels The Rise of Silas Lapham written by William D. Howell, originally published in 1885, and The American by Henry James published in 1877. The term paper mainly concentrates on the main characters and their social life and shows that the protagonists, who live the way that the term “American Dream” implies, experience the seamy side of the American Dream. Before Europeans had moved to the new continent, the first immigrants living in America were Asians (Jordan, Winthrop D./Leon F. Litwack. The United States, Conquering a Continent Volume 1. California: North West, 2003: 1). In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered an unknown continent which was named “America” after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Reports of America visitors connected the impression of America with “a paradise on earth” and the “El Dorado” and thus attracted people (Freese, Peter. The American Dream and the American Nightmare: General Aspects and Literary Examples. Paderborner Universitätsreden 7. Paderborn: Universität-Gesamthochschule, 1987: 8). Terrible and dangerous life situations, daily suffered by men and women during the “Protestant Reformation”, forced victims of “religious persecution” to flee the countries (Freese 1987: 10). Searching for protection, they moved from the “Old World” to the “New World” (15).

American Dream, American Nightmare

American Dream, American Nightmare

Author: Kathryn Hume

Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Published: 2022-08-15

Total Pages: 325

ISBN-13: 025205413X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In this celebration of contemporary American fiction, Kathryn Hume explores how estrangement from America has shaped the fiction of a literary generation, which she calls the Generation of the Lost Dream. In breaking down the divisions among standard categories of race, religion, ethnicity, and gender, Hume identifies shared core concerns, values, and techniques among seemingly disparate and unconnected writers including T. Coraghessan Boyle, Ralph Ellison, Russell Banks, Gloria Naylor, Tim O'Brien, Maxine Hong Kingston, Walker Percy, N. Scott Momaday, John Updike, Toni Morrison, William Kennedy, Julia Alvarez, Thomas Pynchon, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Don DeLillo. Hume explores fictional treatments of the slippage in the immigrant experience between America's promise and its reality. She exposes the political link between contemporary stories of lost innocence and liberalism's inadequacies. She also invites us to look at the literary challenge to scientific materialism in various searches for a spiritual dimension in life. The expansive future promised by the American Dream has been replaced, Hume finds, by a sense of tarnished morality and a melancholy loss of faith in America's exceptionalism. American Dream, American Nightmare examines the differing critiques of America embedded in nearly a hundred novels and points to the source for recovery that appeals to many of the authors.


Book Synopsis American Dream, American Nightmare by : Kathryn Hume

Download or read book American Dream, American Nightmare written by Kathryn Hume and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2022-08-15 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this celebration of contemporary American fiction, Kathryn Hume explores how estrangement from America has shaped the fiction of a literary generation, which she calls the Generation of the Lost Dream. In breaking down the divisions among standard categories of race, religion, ethnicity, and gender, Hume identifies shared core concerns, values, and techniques among seemingly disparate and unconnected writers including T. Coraghessan Boyle, Ralph Ellison, Russell Banks, Gloria Naylor, Tim O'Brien, Maxine Hong Kingston, Walker Percy, N. Scott Momaday, John Updike, Toni Morrison, William Kennedy, Julia Alvarez, Thomas Pynchon, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Don DeLillo. Hume explores fictional treatments of the slippage in the immigrant experience between America's promise and its reality. She exposes the political link between contemporary stories of lost innocence and liberalism's inadequacies. She also invites us to look at the literary challenge to scientific materialism in various searches for a spiritual dimension in life. The expansive future promised by the American Dream has been replaced, Hume finds, by a sense of tarnished morality and a melancholy loss of faith in America's exceptionalism. American Dream, American Nightmare examines the differing critiques of America embedded in nearly a hundred novels and points to the source for recovery that appeals to many of the authors.

American Dreams, American Nightmares

American Dreams, American Nightmares

Author: David Madden

Publisher: Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press

Published: 1970

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The pursuit of the American Dream, supposedly shaped by the edenic promises of the American land, has engaged our writers from the beginning, and much of our literature has come out of the national literary experience thus expressed. This collection of nineteen original, unpublished essays written for this book is particularly relevant today, when our col­lective field of vision seems obscured, and when the American Dream seems to have become a cliché, symbolic of the Dream defunct. The nineteen critics here presented include, among others, Leslie Fiedler, Oscar Cargill, Maxwell Geismar, Jules Chametzky, Louis Filler, and Ihab Hassan. Most of them seem to agree with the view expressed by the majority of our best creative writers: that in pursuing the American Dream, America has created a nightmare. Taken together, the nineteen essays provide a comprehensive view of American literature, past and present, as it has dealt with the Dream; but the emphasis is on modern works and present social, cultural, and political problems--poverty, war, and racism. Ten of the essays focus on such key works as Herman Melville's "The Two Temples," F. Scott Fitz­gerald's The Great Gatsby, William Faulkner's "The Bear," Thomas Wolfe's You Can't Go Home Again, Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, and Norman Mailer's Why Are We in Vietnam?


Book Synopsis American Dreams, American Nightmares by : David Madden

Download or read book American Dreams, American Nightmares written by David Madden and published by Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press. This book was released on 1970 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The pursuit of the American Dream, supposedly shaped by the edenic promises of the American land, has engaged our writers from the beginning, and much of our literature has come out of the national literary experience thus expressed. This collection of nineteen original, unpublished essays written for this book is particularly relevant today, when our col­lective field of vision seems obscured, and when the American Dream seems to have become a cliché, symbolic of the Dream defunct. The nineteen critics here presented include, among others, Leslie Fiedler, Oscar Cargill, Maxwell Geismar, Jules Chametzky, Louis Filler, and Ihab Hassan. Most of them seem to agree with the view expressed by the majority of our best creative writers: that in pursuing the American Dream, America has created a nightmare. Taken together, the nineteen essays provide a comprehensive view of American literature, past and present, as it has dealt with the Dream; but the emphasis is on modern works and present social, cultural, and political problems--poverty, war, and racism. Ten of the essays focus on such key works as Herman Melville's "The Two Temples," F. Scott Fitz­gerald's The Great Gatsby, William Faulkner's "The Bear," Thomas Wolfe's You Can't Go Home Again, Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, and Norman Mailer's Why Are We in Vietnam?

The American Dream in "Forrest Gump"

The American Dream in

Author: Julia Schart

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2019-10-15

Total Pages: 19

ISBN-13: 3346036235

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Pre-University Paper from the year 2006 in the subject American Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: 2,0, Fachoberschule und Berufsoberschule Schwandorf, language: English, abstract: The original reason for choosing this topic in particular was in fact, the main idea of the American Dream, the movie primarily deals with. So, once more I was able to get in touch with the deep routed imagination and values which basically make up American society. One year ago, when I finished the Foreign Language School in Regensburg, I was really fascinated by having heard so much about, for example, lifestyle, religion and above all cultural details on the second largest continent of the world. Sometimes people think, living that unlimited American way of life would be the satisfaction of being on earth. At first glance, it might look like this, but it is not always true, especially if you have the chance to delve deeper inside and then you realize the United States of America is not just 50 sparkling stars on our planet, but the country is also a place where you have to fight for your life, for justice and acknowledgement. Before I start describing Forrest Gump and the way he sees everyone all around him, I have to say that I tried to highlight this work with a short interview with the actor Tom Hanks. Unfortunately, I noticed writing a letter to him which he would have had to answer, would have been too uncertain and furthermore it most probably would have taken too much time. Nevertheless, I did my very best to create a short interesting, expressive dissertation.


Book Synopsis The American Dream in "Forrest Gump" by : Julia Schart

Download or read book The American Dream in "Forrest Gump" written by Julia Schart and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2019-10-15 with total page 19 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pre-University Paper from the year 2006 in the subject American Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: 2,0, Fachoberschule und Berufsoberschule Schwandorf, language: English, abstract: The original reason for choosing this topic in particular was in fact, the main idea of the American Dream, the movie primarily deals with. So, once more I was able to get in touch with the deep routed imagination and values which basically make up American society. One year ago, when I finished the Foreign Language School in Regensburg, I was really fascinated by having heard so much about, for example, lifestyle, religion and above all cultural details on the second largest continent of the world. Sometimes people think, living that unlimited American way of life would be the satisfaction of being on earth. At first glance, it might look like this, but it is not always true, especially if you have the chance to delve deeper inside and then you realize the United States of America is not just 50 sparkling stars on our planet, but the country is also a place where you have to fight for your life, for justice and acknowledgement. Before I start describing Forrest Gump and the way he sees everyone all around him, I have to say that I tried to highlight this work with a short interview with the actor Tom Hanks. Unfortunately, I noticed writing a letter to him which he would have had to answer, would have been too uncertain and furthermore it most probably would have taken too much time. Nevertheless, I did my very best to create a short interesting, expressive dissertation.

Nightmare Alley

Nightmare Alley

Author: Mark Osteen

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2013-01-30

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 1421408325

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Classic film noir offers more than pesky private eyes and beautiful bad girls—it explores the quest for the not-so-attainable American dream. Winner of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title of the Choice ACRL Desperate young lovers on the lam (They Live by Night), a cynical con man making a fortune as a mentalist (Nightmare Alley), a penniless pregnant girl mistaken for a wealthy heiress (No Man of Her Own), a wounded veteran who has forgotten his own name (Somewhere in the Night)—this gallery of film noir characters challenges the stereotypes of the wise-cracking detective and the alluring femme fatale. Despite their differences, they all have something in common: a belief in self-reinvention. Nightmare Alley is a thorough examination of how film noir disputes this notion at the heart of the American Dream. Central to many of these films, Mark Osteen argues, is the story of an individual trying, by dint of hard work or, more often, illicit enterprises, to overcome his or her origins and achieve material success. In the wake of World War II, the noir genre tested the dream of upward mobility and the ideas of individualism, liberty, equality, and free enterprise that accompany it. Employing an impressive array of theoretical perspectives (including psychoanalysis, art history, feminism, and music theory) and combining close reading with original primary source research, Nightmare Alley proves both the diversity of classic noir and its potency. This provocative and wide-ranging study revises and refreshes our understanding of noir's characters, themes, and cultural significance.


Book Synopsis Nightmare Alley by : Mark Osteen

Download or read book Nightmare Alley written by Mark Osteen and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2013-01-30 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Classic film noir offers more than pesky private eyes and beautiful bad girls—it explores the quest for the not-so-attainable American dream. Winner of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title of the Choice ACRL Desperate young lovers on the lam (They Live by Night), a cynical con man making a fortune as a mentalist (Nightmare Alley), a penniless pregnant girl mistaken for a wealthy heiress (No Man of Her Own), a wounded veteran who has forgotten his own name (Somewhere in the Night)—this gallery of film noir characters challenges the stereotypes of the wise-cracking detective and the alluring femme fatale. Despite their differences, they all have something in common: a belief in self-reinvention. Nightmare Alley is a thorough examination of how film noir disputes this notion at the heart of the American Dream. Central to many of these films, Mark Osteen argues, is the story of an individual trying, by dint of hard work or, more often, illicit enterprises, to overcome his or her origins and achieve material success. In the wake of World War II, the noir genre tested the dream of upward mobility and the ideas of individualism, liberty, equality, and free enterprise that accompany it. Employing an impressive array of theoretical perspectives (including psychoanalysis, art history, feminism, and music theory) and combining close reading with original primary source research, Nightmare Alley proves both the diversity of classic noir and its potency. This provocative and wide-ranging study revises and refreshes our understanding of noir's characters, themes, and cultural significance.

The American Dream in "The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006)

The American Dream in

Author:

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2023-10-18

Total Pages: 25

ISBN-13: 3346955907

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Seminar paper from the year 2023 in the subject American Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,2, University of Hannover, language: English, abstract: "From Rags to Riches" - This sentence has left an indelible mark on American history like no other before. It encapsulates the journey from poverty to wealth of a single individual, a dream that countless people sought in their pursuit of a land brimming with boundless opportunities. We are speaking of the American Dream, a vision deeply ingrained in the minds of the earliest settlers of America. This dream stands as a symbol of the American self-image and is an integral component of the nation's identity. The human right articulated as "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" in the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson can be viewed as the quintessential embodiment of the American Dream. Over 150 years later, James Truslow Adams popularized the term and defined it as follows: "The American dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better, richer, and fuller for every man, with opportunities for each according to his ability and achievement". The American Dream has been explored in numerous works, including the iconic novel "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which not only left an indelible mark on American literature but also on American history. Moreover, it is considered one of the most widely taught English novels in American educational institutions in the last decade. The life of the titular character, Jay Gatsby, serves as a poignant example of the American Dream's disillusionment, as he tragically perishes without ever attaining his coveted life. However, for this essay, we will delve into the biographical drama film "The Pursuit of Happyness," directed by Gabriele Muccino, which focuses on yet another facet of the American Dream. It is particularly intriguing to note that the film centers around Will Smith's character, Chris Gardner, an African American man who is determined to chase his own happiness. This essay endeavors to explore the relationship between the life of African American Chris Gardner and the American Dream as portrayed in "The Pursuit of Happyness." To commence our analysis, we shall first define the term "American Dream". This definition will lay the groundwork for our exploration of the American Dream in the film. Following this, we will delve into the historical backdrop, for, as Samuel aptly puts it, "There is no better way to understand America than by comprehending the cultural history of the American Dream" (Samuel).


Book Synopsis The American Dream in "The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006) by :

Download or read book The American Dream in "The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006) written by and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2023-10-18 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2023 in the subject American Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,2, University of Hannover, language: English, abstract: "From Rags to Riches" - This sentence has left an indelible mark on American history like no other before. It encapsulates the journey from poverty to wealth of a single individual, a dream that countless people sought in their pursuit of a land brimming with boundless opportunities. We are speaking of the American Dream, a vision deeply ingrained in the minds of the earliest settlers of America. This dream stands as a symbol of the American self-image and is an integral component of the nation's identity. The human right articulated as "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" in the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson can be viewed as the quintessential embodiment of the American Dream. Over 150 years later, James Truslow Adams popularized the term and defined it as follows: "The American dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better, richer, and fuller for every man, with opportunities for each according to his ability and achievement". The American Dream has been explored in numerous works, including the iconic novel "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which not only left an indelible mark on American literature but also on American history. Moreover, it is considered one of the most widely taught English novels in American educational institutions in the last decade. The life of the titular character, Jay Gatsby, serves as a poignant example of the American Dream's disillusionment, as he tragically perishes without ever attaining his coveted life. However, for this essay, we will delve into the biographical drama film "The Pursuit of Happyness," directed by Gabriele Muccino, which focuses on yet another facet of the American Dream. It is particularly intriguing to note that the film centers around Will Smith's character, Chris Gardner, an African American man who is determined to chase his own happiness. This essay endeavors to explore the relationship between the life of African American Chris Gardner and the American Dream as portrayed in "The Pursuit of Happyness." To commence our analysis, we shall first define the term "American Dream". This definition will lay the groundwork for our exploration of the American Dream in the film. Following this, we will delve into the historical backdrop, for, as Samuel aptly puts it, "There is no better way to understand America than by comprehending the cultural history of the American Dream" (Samuel).

Approaching Twin Peaks

Approaching Twin Peaks

Author: Eric Hoffman

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2017-06-29

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1476671273

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Though it lasted just two seasons, Twin Peaks (1990-1991) raised the bar for television and is now considered one of the great dramas in TV history. Its complex plots and sensational visuals both inspired and alienated audiences. After 25 years, the cult classic is being revived. This collection of new essays explores its filmic influences, its genre-bending innovations and its use of horror and science fiction conventions, from the original series through the earlier film prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and subsequent video releases.


Book Synopsis Approaching Twin Peaks by : Eric Hoffman

Download or read book Approaching Twin Peaks written by Eric Hoffman and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2017-06-29 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though it lasted just two seasons, Twin Peaks (1990-1991) raised the bar for television and is now considered one of the great dramas in TV history. Its complex plots and sensational visuals both inspired and alienated audiences. After 25 years, the cult classic is being revived. This collection of new essays explores its filmic influences, its genre-bending innovations and its use of horror and science fiction conventions, from the original series through the earlier film prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and subsequent video releases.

The American Dream and American Cinema in the Age of Trump

The American Dream and American Cinema in the Age of Trump

Author: Graham S. Clarke

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-07-28

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 1000615537

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The American Dream and American Cinema in the Age of Trump uses both film theory and insights from object relations theory in order to examine how recent films address and reflect the state of the ‘American Dream’. This fascinating book looks at how the American Dream is one of the organising ideas of American cinema, and one of the most influential cultural outputs of the twenty-first century, at a time of internal crisis. In an era characterised by populism, climate change and economic uncertainty, the book considers nine auteur films in how they illustrate the challenges of contemporary America. Graham S. Clarke and Ross Clarke present a bifocal perspective on some of the most well-received American films of recent years and how they relate to the American Dream in the context of the Trump presidency. For each of the nine films discussed, two different accounts are presented side by side so that each film is considered from an object relations psychoanalytic point of view (internal world) as well as a film and cultural theory perspective (external world). This unique approach is complemented by discussion of political and critical theory, providing a thorough and engaging analysis. Challenging and insightful, The American Dream and American Cinema in the Age of Trump will be of great interest to scholars of cinema, popular culture, American studies and psychoanalytic studies.


Book Synopsis The American Dream and American Cinema in the Age of Trump by : Graham S. Clarke

Download or read book The American Dream and American Cinema in the Age of Trump written by Graham S. Clarke and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-07-28 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The American Dream and American Cinema in the Age of Trump uses both film theory and insights from object relations theory in order to examine how recent films address and reflect the state of the ‘American Dream’. This fascinating book looks at how the American Dream is one of the organising ideas of American cinema, and one of the most influential cultural outputs of the twenty-first century, at a time of internal crisis. In an era characterised by populism, climate change and economic uncertainty, the book considers nine auteur films in how they illustrate the challenges of contemporary America. Graham S. Clarke and Ross Clarke present a bifocal perspective on some of the most well-received American films of recent years and how they relate to the American Dream in the context of the Trump presidency. For each of the nine films discussed, two different accounts are presented side by side so that each film is considered from an object relations psychoanalytic point of view (internal world) as well as a film and cultural theory perspective (external world). This unique approach is complemented by discussion of political and critical theory, providing a thorough and engaging analysis. Challenging and insightful, The American Dream and American Cinema in the Age of Trump will be of great interest to scholars of cinema, popular culture, American studies and psychoanalytic studies.

Violence in American Popular Culture

Violence in American Popular Culture

Author: David Schmid

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2015-11-02

Total Pages: 598

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This timely collection provides a historical overview of violence in American popular culture from the Puritan era to the present and across a range of media. Few topics are discussed more broadly today than violence in American popular culture. Unfortunately, such discussion is often unsupported by fact and lacking in historical context. This two-volume work aims to remedy that through a series of concise, detailed essays that explore why violence has always been a fundamental part of American popular culture, the ways in which it has appeared, and how the nature and expression of interest in it have changed over time. Each volume of the collection is organized chronologically. The first focuses on violent events and phenomena in American history that have been treated across a range of popular cultural media. Topics include Native American genocide, slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, and gender violence. The second volume explores the treatment of violence in popular culture as it relates to specific genres—for example, Puritan "execution sermons," dime novels, television, film, and video games. An afterword looks at the forces that influence how violence is presented, discusses what violence in pop culture tells us about American culture as a whole, and speculates about the future.


Book Synopsis Violence in American Popular Culture by : David Schmid

Download or read book Violence in American Popular Culture written by David Schmid and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2015-11-02 with total page 598 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely collection provides a historical overview of violence in American popular culture from the Puritan era to the present and across a range of media. Few topics are discussed more broadly today than violence in American popular culture. Unfortunately, such discussion is often unsupported by fact and lacking in historical context. This two-volume work aims to remedy that through a series of concise, detailed essays that explore why violence has always been a fundamental part of American popular culture, the ways in which it has appeared, and how the nature and expression of interest in it have changed over time. Each volume of the collection is organized chronologically. The first focuses on violent events and phenomena in American history that have been treated across a range of popular cultural media. Topics include Native American genocide, slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, and gender violence. The second volume explores the treatment of violence in popular culture as it relates to specific genres—for example, Puritan "execution sermons," dime novels, television, film, and video games. An afterword looks at the forces that influence how violence is presented, discusses what violence in pop culture tells us about American culture as a whole, and speculates about the future.