THEA 1520 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Local Natives, American Frontier
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The frontier zone or border beyond the region of occupied territories: that is, the spaces conquered and settled by white europeans settlers. Something else to consider, is that while in a very basic sense, the american. The basis of the hollywood western(cid:495)s ideological construction, and the indeed, the point of commonality between all westerns, is the presence and influence of (cid:494)the. In the context of american history and of the nation(cid:495)s geographic and demographic expansion, the term (cid:494)frontier(cid:495) was used by scholars to describe the (cid:494)frontier(cid:495) suggested a border that physically demarcated between settled and non- settled territory. Symbolically, it also demarcated between (cid:494)wilderness(cid:495) and (cid:494)civilization(cid:495). For example, in the hollywood western, the local (cid:494)natives(cid:495) are depicted as unruly savages, and thus destructive forces, who present impediments to progress and development. This representation marks a sharp contrast with the european settlers, who, in their attempt to build new homes and societies, are represented as avatars of civilization and order.
