DOCSLIB.ORG

The Postmodern Indian: Representation and the Films of Sherman Alexie

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Postmodern Indian: Representation and the Films of Sherman Alexie The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Dissertations Spring 5-1-2018 The Postmodern Indian: Representation and the Films of Sherman Alexie Tara P. McCrink Burcham University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations Part of the Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Indigenous Studies Commons, and the Other Film and Media Studies Commons Recommended Citation McCrink Burcham, Tara P., "The Postmodern Indian: Representation and the Films of Sherman Alexie" (2018). Dissertations. 1534. https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/1534 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Postmodern Indian: Representation and the Films of Sherman Alexie by Tara P. McCrink-Burcham A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School, the College of Arts and Letters and the School of Mass Communication and Journalism at The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Approved by: Dr. Christopher Campbell, Committee Chair Dr. Phillip Gentile Dr. Tammy Greer Dr. Cheryl Jenkins Dr. Fei Xue ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Dr. Christopher Dr. David Davies Dr. Karen S. Coats Campbell Department Chair Dean of the Graduate School Committee Chair May 2018 COPYRIGHT BY Tara P. McCrink-Burcham 2018 Published by the Graduate School ABSTRACT For hundreds of years, Native Americans have been characters in American media. For most of those years, whites determined the way in which Native Americans were represented. First in print, radio, silent movies and later talkies and television, representations of Native Americans have included being uneducated sidekicks, savages, noble savages seeking to steal white women, drunken idiots, or hilarious jesters all for the entertainment of viewers. This troublesome history of negative depictions of Native Americans is the reason this research is directed at the films by Native American writer and filmmaker Sherman Alexie. This research is a qualitative analysis of two of Alexie's films striving to analyze his work as a Native American filmmaker in relation to themes and representations found in films made by non-Natives depicting Native American characters and culture. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Christopher Campbell for his support during this process. I would also like to thank my committee, Dr. Phillip Gentile, Dr. Tammy Greer, Dr. Cheryl Jenkins, and Dr. Fei Xue. All of these hard-working and dedicated faculty members helped make this possible. Although they are no longer with us, I would like to remember Dr. Gene Wiggins and Dr. Art Kaul. Some of my early professors who made the study of Mass Communication and Journalism an exciting undertaking. Those two men are dearly missed. There have been many others supporting me along the way and I am grateful for their encouragement. I would also like to thank my family for being supportive and thank God for all his blessings. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iii CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER II – LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................... 13 Postmodernism .............................................................................................................. 14 Media Representations of Native Americans ............................................................... 15 Historical and Stereotypical Representations of Native Americans ............................. 17 Minorities in Media....................................................................................................... 21 Minority Exploitation by Filmmakers .......................................................................... 22 Emerging Media Representations of Native Americans ............................................... 25 Myths of Minorities in Media ....................................................................................... 26 Ethnic Humor ................................................................................................................ 28 The Trickster Historical Stereotype and a Modern Commentary ................................. 31 Theories of Authorship and Auterism........................................................................... 33 CHAPTER III - RESEARCH METHOD ......................................................................... 38 Textual Analysis ........................................................................................................... 38 Process of Analysis ................................................................................................... 39 Narrative Analysis and Narrative Theory ..................................................................... 41 Smoke Signals – From Reservation to Sundance .......................................................... 44 iv The Business of Fancydancing – Alexie’s Big Flop ..................................................... 46 Definitions and terms used ........................................................................................ 47 CHAPTER IV – SHERMAN ALEXIE: A DAMAGED REALIST ................................ 50 Literary Criticism .......................................................................................................... 53 Activist and Social Commentator ................................................................................. 56 Alexie as an Auteur ....................................................................................................... 59 CHAPTER V – SMOKE SIGNALS................................................................................. 61 Critical Acclaim ............................................................................................................ 61 Box Office Success ....................................................................................................... 62 Awards .......................................................................................................................... 63 Film Overview and Semiotic Analysis ......................................................................... 64 Main Characters and Minor Characters ........................................................................ 72 Characters and Stereotyping ......................................................................................... 74 Thomas Builds-the-Fire ............................................................................................ 74 Victor Joseph ............................................................................................................ 77 Narrative Analysis ........................................................................................................ 81 Themes .......................................................................................................................... 85 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 91 CHAPTER VI – THE BUSINESS OF FANCYDANCING ............................................ 94 Critical Acclaim ............................................................................................................ 95 v Box Office Success ....................................................................................................... 97 Awards .......................................................................................................................... 99 Film Overview and Semiotic Analysis ......................................................................... 99 Main Characters and Minor Characters ...................................................................... 109 Characters and Stereotyping ....................................................................................... 110 Seymour Polatkin .................................................................................................... 110 Agnes Roth.............................................................................................................. 112 Aristotle................................................................................................................... 114 Mouse ...................................................................................................................... 115 Steven ...................................................................................................................... 116 Narrative Analysis ...................................................................................................... 117 Themes ........................................................................................................................ 120 Discussion ................................................................................................................... 124 CHAPTER VII — CONCLUSION ...............................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • NAWPA Bibliographies: Plays and Playwrights
    NAWPA Bibliographies: Plays and Playwrights Published Plays by Native American Women Playwrights See the extensive bibliographies compiled by Birgit Daewes in her Native North American Theater in a Global Age (Heidelberg: Universitatsverlag, 12006): 391-470. Adare, Sierra (Cherokee, Choctaw) "Takeover of the Andrew Jackson Reading Room." Keepers of the Morning Star: An Anthology of Native Women's Theater. Ed. Jaye T. Darby and Stephanie Fitzgerald. Los Angeles: UCLA American Indian Studies Center, 2003. 262-316. Arkeketa, Annette (Otoe-Missouria, Muscogee Creek) "Ghost Dance." Keepers of the Morning Star: An Anthology of Native Women's Theater. Ed. Jaye T. Darby and Stephanie Fitzgerald. Los Angeles: UCLA American Indian Studies Center, 2003. 107-185. "Hokti." Stories of Our Way: An Anthology of American Indian Plays. Ed. Hanay Geiogamah and Jaye T. Darby. Los Angeles: UCLA American Indian Studies Center, 1999. 441-495. Benjamin, Cheryl "Change of Heart." Both Sides: New Work from the Institute of American Indian Arts, 1993-1994. Ed. Cheryl Benjamin and others. Santa Fe: Institute of American Indian Arts, 1994. Blue Spruce, Paula (Carol DuVal Whiteman) "Katsina." Quarterly Review of Literature. Poetry Series 34 (1995): 1-58. Bouvier, Vye "Teach Me the Ways of the Sacred Circle." The Land Called Morning: Three Plays. Saskatoon: Fifth House, 1986. Bruchac, Margaret (Abenaki) "Molly Has Her Say." Keepers of the Morning Star: An Anthology of Native Women's Theater. Ed. Jaye T. Darby and Stephanie Fitzgerald. Los Angeles: UCLA American Indian Studies Center, 2003. 317-373. Campbell, Maria, and Linda Griffiths The Book of Jessica: A Theatrical Transformation. Toronto: Coach House, 1989.
    [Show full text]
  • Wagga Wagga Australia
    OPENING NIGHT THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY FRIDAY 11 MARCH 7PM Directed by Matthew Brown | UK | In English and Tamil with English subtitles | 108 mins | PG SELECTED: TORONTO & DUBAI FILM FESTIVAL 2015 Based on the inspirational biography of a genuine mathematical genius in the early twentieth century, The Man Who Knew Infinity tells the life story of Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire). Image: Mustang From an underprivileged upbringing in Madras, India, Ramanujan earns admittance to Cambridge University during WWI, where he becomes a pioneer in mathematical theories. Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons delivers a terrific performance as Cambridge University Professor G.H. Hardy, who is inspired and captivated by the mathematician’s ground-breaking theories. Their friendship transcends race and culture through mutual respect and understanding, and Ramanujan’s visionary theories shine through the ignorance and prejudice of those around him. WAGGA WAGGA “Tells such a good story, it’s hard to resist.” – SCREEN DAILY “Highly engaging performances…an extraordinary story.” – THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER FORUM 6 CINEMAS Followed by complimentary Opening Night drinks and party. 11-13 MARCH 2016 SPECIAL SCREENING: SUBSCRIBE HOW CALL ME DAD AND SAVE TO BOOK SATURDAY 12 MARCH 10.30AM Save over 35% on regular ticket Book tickets online in advance at Directed by Sophie Wiesner | Australia | In English | 80 mins | M prices with a subscription - all sff.org.au/Wagga. The Travelling Film Festival and Good Pitch Australia present a special screening of Australian nine films for only $9 per film ($8 documentary, Call Me Dad, a story about men who have perpetrated, or are at risk of concession), including Opening For ticket enquiries please perpetrating, family violence.
    [Show full text]
  • An Examination of Native Americans in Film and Rise of Native Filmmakers by Julia Boyd — 105
    An Examination of Native Americans in Film and Rise of Native Filmmakers by Julia Boyd — 105 An Examination of Native Americans in Film and Rise of Native Filmmakers Julia Boyd Media Arts and Entertainment, Concentration: Cinema Elon University Abstract This paper explored the role of Native Americans in the Hollywood film industry and their actions to estab- lish authentic representations of their population and culture in the media. Using academic literature, film analyses, and contemporary film reviews and articles, the author created a synthesis of the history of Na- tive Americans in film. The author concluded that by becoming producers, directors, and writers of their own stories, American Indians have regained control of their images and been able to combat stereotypes and the exclusion of Native Americans in the creative process. Positive social change for minority populations can be optimized when these populations are in control of their own images in film and media. I. Introduction One can use art, music, literature, television and film to trace patterns in society. Since the invention of moving images in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, film has been a particularly powerful me- dium. Films have served as escapist fantasies, allowing audiences to enter astonishing worlds and encounter wild and colorful characters. Movies have also been used to convey truths about society that are more easily digested in a fictional format. Difficult topics such as the nature of humanity, love, and war have all been explored with film as the tool that disseminates these themes into the consciousness of the masses. With the rise of mass media and popular culture came the onset of a collective consciousness that could be shared by people all over the world, rather than people of a particular culture relying on their own ancestry and specific history.
    [Show full text]
  • The White Man's Indian: Stereotypes in Film and Beyond. PUB DATE Jan 97 NOTE 9P.; In: Visionquest: Journeys Toward Visual Literacy
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 408 950 IR 018 363 AUTHOR Vrasidas, Charalambos TITLE The White Man's Indian: Stereotypes in Film and Beyond. PUB DATE Jan 97 NOTE 9p.; In: VisionQuest: Journeys toward Visual Literacy. Selected Readings from the Annual Conference of the International Visual Literacy Association (28th, Cheyenne, Wyoming, October, 1996); see IR 018 353. PUB TYPE Reports Evaluative (142) Speeches/Meeting Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS American Indians; *Cultural Images; Film Production; *Films; *Labeling (of Persons); Popular Culture; Role Perception; *Social Bias; *Stereotypes IDENTIFIERS *Native Americans; Visual Representation ABSTRACT Before the invention of film, a stereotypical perception of Native Americans was embodied in art, fiction, and entertainment. Stereotyping of Native Americans can be categorized under three major themes: (1) the history of Native Americans compressed and portrayed under a single period of time;(2) Native cultures interpreted through white values; and (3) the grouping of the more than 600 different Native American societies under one general category. Because of its ability to present moving images, film played a major role in perpetuating the stereotypes of the Native Americans as riding horses, screaming, killing, and scalping people. Film, like any other form of art, reflects the culture of the society and at the same time, contributes to that culture; it embodies the society's values, beliefs, and social structure and assists in transmitting culture to mass audiences. Myths and stereotypes about Native Americans are alive today because television and film, as media with mass appeal, perpetuated misconceptions. The representation of Native Americans in films was mostly restricted to one genre, the Western.
    [Show full text]
  • Conor Mcpherson 88 Min., 1.85:1, 35Mm
    Mongrel Media Presents THE ECLIPSE A film by Conor McPherson 88 min., 1.85:1, 35mm (88min., Ireland, 2009) www.theeclipsefilm.com Distribution Publicity Bonne Smith 1028 Queen Street West Star PR Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6J 1H6 Tel: 416-488-4436 Tel: 416-516-9775 Fax: 416-516-0651 Fax: 416-488-8438 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] www.mongrelmedia.com High res stills may be downloaded from http://www.mongrelmedia.com/press.html SYNOPSIS THE ECLIPSE tells the story of Michael Farr (Ciarán Hinds), a teacher raising his two kids alone since his wife died two years earlier. Lately he has been seeing and hearing strange things late at night in his house. He isn't sure if he is simply having terrifying nightmares or if his house is haunted. Each year, the seaside town where Michael lives hosts an international literary festival, attracting writers from all over the world. Michael works as a volunteer for the festival and is assigned the attractive Lena Morelle (Iben Hjejle), an author of books about ghosts and the supernatural, to look after. They become friendly and he eagerly tells her of his experiences. For the first time he has met someone who can accept the reality of what has been happening to him. However, Lena’s attention is pulled elsewhere. She has come to the festival at the bidding of world-renowned novelist Nicholas Holden (Aidan Quinn), with whom she had a brief affair the previous year. He has fallen in love with Lena and is going through a turbulent time, eager to leave his wife to be with her.
    [Show full text]
  • Director Zwick Defies the Typical WWII Film Advertisement by Anthony Breznican, USA TODAY
    Director Zwick defies the typical WWII ... EC Be one of the first 100 businesses to register and have $50 loaded onto your debit card. BUSINESS nroll now 1 Use promo code BAI208MMNG ADVA TAG (!@ PRINTTHIS Powered by r;a· tility I ~ Click to Print I SAVE n-ilS I EM<\ IL niS I Oose Director Zwick defies the typical WWII film Advertisement By Anthony Breznican, USA TODAY LOS ANGELES- It all started with little boys playing war. REVIEW: War drama 'Defiance' meets with resistance In the late 1950s, Edward Zwick was a little boy running around his suburban Chicago neighborhood with friends, pretending to fight the Axis powers like the heroic soldiers or flying aces from their fa write World War II movies. "Gregory Peck seemed to star in all of them -12 O'Clock High, The Guns ofNavarone," says Zwick, now 56, who grew up to become the director of Glory, Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai and Blood Diamond. "But," he adds, ·~o be a Jewish kid was to hear other stories ... " Those were about the Holocaust, and ZWick was secretly troubled by the all-too-easy question kids often ask, which has a million hard answers: \lllhydidn~theyfight back? ''You try to reconcile the difference between the stories ~u heard aboutthe victimization of people like you, and then these other heroes," he says of the screen fighters he idolized. "It had some kind of pain attached to it, really." He has finally gotten to tell his own story of tough, fighting Jews, and he did it with the help of007.
    [Show full text]
  • He Dreams of Giants
    From the makers of Lost In La Mancha comes A Tale of Obsession… He Dreams of Giants A film by Keith Fulton and Lou Pepe RUNNING TIME: 84 minutes United Kingdom, 2019, DCP, 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, Aspect Ratio16:9 PRESS CONTACT: Cinetic Media Ryan Werner and Charlie Olsky 1 SYNOPSIS “Why does anyone create? It’s hard. Life is hard. Art is hard. Doing anything worthwhile is hard.” – Terry Gilliam From the team behind Lost in La Mancha and The Hamster Factor, HE DREAMS OF GIANTS is the culmination of a trilogy of documentaries that have followed film director Terry Gilliam over a twenty-five-year period. Charting Gilliam’s final, beleaguered quest to adapt Don Quixote, this documentary is a potent study of creative obsession. For over thirty years, Terry Gilliam has dreamed of creating a screen adaptation of Cervantes’ masterpiece. When he first attempted the production in 2000, Gilliam already had the reputation of being a bit of a Quixote himself: a filmmaker whose stories of visionary dreamers raging against gigantic forces mirrored his own artistic battles with the Hollywood machine. The collapse of that infamous and ill-fated production – as documented in Lost in La Mancha – only further cemented Gilliam’s reputation as an idealist chasing an impossible dream. HE DREAMS OF GIANTS picks up Gilliam’s story seventeen years later as he finally mounts the production once again and struggles to finish it. Facing him are a host of new obstacles: budget constraints, a history of compromise and heightened expectations, all compounded by self-doubt, the toll of aging, and the nagging existential question: What is left for an artist when he completes the quest that has defined a large part of his career? 2 Combining immersive verité footage of Gilliam’s production with intimate interviews and archival footage from the director’s entire career, HE DREAMS OF GIANTS is a revealing character study of a late-career artist, and a meditation on the value of creativity in the face of mortality.
    [Show full text]
  • Sarah Finlay
    SARAH FINLAY Production Designer http://www.sarah-finlay.com/ Selected Features: THE FANTASTIC FLITCROFTS – BBC Films – Craig Roberts, director AMMONITE – See-Saw Films – Francis Lee, director *Official Selection – Cannes Film Festival SUPERNOVA – BBC Films – Harry Macqueen, director RIALTO – The Bureau – Peter Mackie Burns, director JULIET NAKED – Lionsgate – Jesse Peretz, director – Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, Ron Yerxa, Albert Berger, Jeffrey Soros, prods *Official Selection of Sundance Film Festival DISOBEDIENCE – Sony Pictures - Sebastian Lelio, director - Ed Guiney, Frida Torresblanco, Rachel Weisz, producers *Special Presentation - Toronto International Film Festival THE LEVELLING - Wellington Films - Hope Dickson Leach, director - Rachel Robey, Anna Griffin, producers *Official Selection of Toronto International Film Festival *Official Selection: BFI London Film Festival 6 *Nominated: Sutherland Award for Best Debut Feature - BFI London Film Festival 45 YEARS - Glendale Pictures / The Bureau - Andrew Haigh, director - Tristan Goligher, producer *Nominated: Best Actress: Charlotte Rampling - Oscars *Nominated: Outstanding British Film - BAFTA *Winner: Best Actor: Tom Courtenay / Best Actress: Charlotte Rampling - Berlin International Film Festival *Winner: Coup de Coeur - Dinard British Film Festival *Winner: Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film - Edinburgh International Film Festival *Winner: British/Irish Film of the Year, Actor of the Year, Actress of the Year – London Critics Circle Film Awards WEEKEND - Glendale
    [Show full text]
  • EVANS-DISSERTATION.Pdf (2.556Mb)
    Copyright by Katherine Liesl Young Evans 2010 The Dissertation Committee for Katherine Liesl Young Evans certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Staged Encounters: Native American Performance between 1880 and 1920 Committee: James H. Cox, Supervisor John M. González Lisa L. Moore Gretchen Murphy Deborah Paredez Staged Encounters: Native American Performance between 1880 and 1920 by Katherine Liesl Young Evans, B.A., M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin August, 2010 Acknowledgements For someone so concerned with embodiment and movement, I have spent an awful lot of the last seven years planted in a chair reading books. Those books, piled on my desk, floor, and bedside table, have variously angered, inspired, and enlightened me as I worked my way through this project, but I am grateful for their company and conversation. Luckily, I had a number of generous professors who kept funneling these books my way and enthusiastically discussed them with me, not least of which were the members of my dissertation committee. James Cox, my director, offered unflagging enthusiasm and guidance and asked just the right questions to push me into new areas of inquiry. Lisa Moore, Gretchen Murphy, John González, and Deborah Paredez lit the way towards this project through engaging seminars, lengthy reading lists, challenging comments on drafts, and crucial support in the final stages. Other members of the English department faculty made a substantial impact on my development as a teacher and scholar.
    [Show full text]
  • Historical Inaccuracies and a False Sense of Feminism in Disney’S Pocahontas
    Cyrus 1 Lydia A. Cyrus Dr. Squire ENG 440 Film Analysis Revision Fabricated History and False Feminism: Historical Inaccuracies and a False Sense of Feminism in Disney’s Pocahontas In 1995, following the hugely financial success of The Lion King, which earned Disney close to one billion is revenue, Walt Disney Studios was slated to release a slightly more experimental story (The Lion King). Previously, many of the feature- length films had been based on fairy tales and other fictional stories and characters. However, over a Thanksgiving dinner in 1990 director Mike Gabriel began thinking about the story of Pocahontas (Rebello 15). As the legend goes, Pocahontas was the daughter of a highly respected chief and saved the life of an English settler, John Smith, when her father sought out to kill him. Gabriel began setting to work to create the stage for Disney’s first film featuring historical events and names and hoped to create a strong female lead in Pocahontas. The film would be the thirty-third feature length film from the studio and the first to feature a woman of color in the lead. The project had a lot of pressure to be a financial success after the booming success of The Lion King but also had the added pressure from director Gabriel to get the story right (Rebello 15). The film centers on Pocahontas, the daughter of the powerful Indian chief, Powhatan. When settlers from the Virginia Company arrive their leader John Smith sees it as an adventure and soon he finds himself in the wild and comes across Pocahontas.
    [Show full text]
  • To Download The
    FREE EXAM Complete Physical Exam Included New Clients Only Must present coupon. Offers cannot be combined Wellness Plans Extended Hours Multiple Locations www.forevervets.com4 x 2” ad Your Community Voice for 50 Years Your Community Voice for 50 Years RRecorecorPONTE VEDVEDRARA dderer entertainmentEEXTRATRA! ! Featuringentertainment TV listings, streaming information, sports schedules,X puzzles and more! September 24 - 30, 2020 INSIDE: has a new home at The latest House & Home THE LINKS! Listings Chris Rock gets 1361 S. 13th Ave., Ste. 140 Page 21 Jacksonville Beach dramatic as Offering: · Hydrafacials ‘Fargo’ returns · RF Microneedling · Body Contouring Chris Rock stars in the Season 4 premiere · B12 Complex / of “Fargo” Sunday on FX. Lipolean Injections Get Skinny with it! (904) 999-0977 www.SkinnyJax.com1 x 5” ad Now is a great time to It will provide your home: List Your Home for Sale • Complimentary coverage while the home is listed • An edge in the local market Kathleen Floryan LIST IT because buyers prefer to purchase a Broker Associate home that a seller stands behind • Reduced post-sale liability with [email protected] ListSecure® 904-687-5146 WITH ME! https://www.kathleenfloryan.exprealty.com BK3167010 I will provide you a FREE https://expressoffers.com/exp/kathleen-floryan America’s Preferred Ask me how to get cash offers on your home! Home Warranty for your home when we put it on the market. 4 x 3” ad BY JAY BOBBIN FX brings Chris Rock to ‘Fargo’ for series’ fourth season What’s Available NOW Though the last visit to “Fargo” was a and pitched him what I wanted to do, and while ago, it’s still on the television map.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fashion Industry As a Slippery Discursive Site: Tracing the Lines of Flight Between Problem and Intervention
    THE FASHION INDUSTRY AS A SLIPPERY DISCURSIVE SITE: TRACING THE LINES OF FLIGHT BETWEEN PROBLEM AND INTERVENTION Nadia K. Dawisha A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences. Chapel Hill 2016 Approved by: Patricia Parker Sarah Dempsey Steve May Michael Palm Neringa Klumbyte © 2016 Nadia K. Dawisha ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Nadia K. Dawisha: The Fashion Industry as a Slippery Discursive Site: Tracing the Lines of Flight Between Problem and Intervention (Under the direction of Dr. Patricia Parker) At the intersection of the glamorous façade of designer runway shows, such as those in Paris, Milan and New York, and the cheap prices at the local Walmart and Target, is the complicated, somewhat insidious “business” of the fashion industry. It is complicated because it both exploits and empowers, sometimes through the very same practices; it is insidious because its most exploitative practices are often hidden, reproduced, and sustained through a consumer culture in which we are all in some ways complicit. Since fashion’s inception, people and institutions have employed a myriad of discursive strategies to ignore and even justify their complicity in exploitative labor, environmental degradation, and neo-colonial practices. This dissertation identifies and analyzes five predicaments of fashion while locating the multiple interventions that engage various discursive spaces in the fashion industry. Ultimately, the analysis of discursive strategies by creatives, workers, organizers, and bloggers reveals the existence of agile interventions that are as nuanced as the problem, and that can engage with disciplinary power in all these complicated places.
    [Show full text]