NO202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Frontier Thesis
Document Summary
Formed by conventions- they change over time as new ones are invented and old ones are discontinued. Suggested to resonate with an audience because of their familiarity and because of tendency of genres to shift with public mores and reflect the spirit of the time. Been said that hollywood film is built around genres. Mountain men, law men, settlers, outlaws, all taming the western frontier. Captivity narrative- entire genre see picture on slide. Popularity grew with owen wister"s the virginian and zane grey"s riders of the purple. Travelling wild west shows natives were paid to act as a caricature of themselves in travelling shows. Takes place in wyoming he is from the east. Story of an easterner who becomes a cowboy, befriends a ranchhand. Not indian vs. white instead a cattle rustling conflict. Romance: schoolteacher meets him, tries to tame him with books. Often depict conflict with natives, later confused on themes that were different (ie perilous journeys, banditry, etc. )
