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“The Lone Ranger Rides Again”: an Analysis of Representations of the Myth of the West Throughout American History

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“The Lone Ranger Rides Again”: an Analysis of Representations of the Myth of the West Throughout American History “The Lone Ranger Rides Again”: An Analysis of Representations of the Myth of the West throughout American History Ariana Mihalik Ward Jespersen 5-31-2017 10th Semester English Master’s Thesis Ariana Mihalik Ward Jespersen English Master’s Thesis 10th Semester Abstract This thesis examines the how representations of the myth of the West have changed throughout American history in relation to cultural context, as well as how the myth is related to American identity. New historical literary criticism and the cultural psychological theories of Stuart Hall and Roland Barthes provide a theoretical framework for a historical survey of representations of the myth of the West as well as an analysis of seven narratives. Four of the narratives (“Letters From the West No. XIV. The Missouri Trapper” Lord Grizzly, Man in the Wilderness and The Revenant) are versions of the frontier narrative of the trapper Hugh Glass, while the other three are versions of the classic Western The Lone Ranger. Three themes are explored in order to provide focus for the analysis: The hero’s quest for vengeance, the hero’s symbolic belongings, and the portrayal of Native Americans. After the analysis, a partial conclusion presents the findings of the thesis in response to the question of how the myth of the West has changed. The discussion then examines enduring aspects of the myth of the West: its influence on American identity, its universality as a creation myth, and its white, male, Christian bias of perspective. The conclusion determines that the myth of the West is a fundamental tool in understanding American culture, while the final chapter suggests topics for further research. 1 Ariana Mihalik Ward Jespersen English Master’s Thesis 10th Semester Contents Chapter 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Research Question.................................................................................................................................. 4 1.2 Choice of texts ........................................................................................................................................ 5 1.3 Structure ................................................................................................................................................. 6 Chapter 2: Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Methods ................................................................................................................................................. 7 2.2 Comparing Different Types of Media ..................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Selection of Theories .............................................................................................................................. 9 2.4 Other potential approaches ................................................................................................................. 10 Chapter 3 Theory ............................................................................................................................................ 10 3.1 Cultural psychological theory ............................................................................................................... 10 3.1.1 Stuart Hall’s Representations ........................................................................................................ 11 3.1.2: Stuart Hall’s Presentation of Ferdinand de Saussure and Michael Foucault................................. 13 3.1.3 Roland Barthes: Mythologies ......................................................................................................... 15 3.2 Literary Criticism: New Historicism ....................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 4: Historical Development of Representations of the Myth of the West .......................................... 19 4.1 Mythopoeic Stage ................................................................................................................................. 20 4.2 The Romantic Stage .............................................................................................................................. 26 4.3: The Consummatory Stage ................................................................................................................... 29 4.4: Post-consummatory Stage................................................................................................................... 30 4.5 Chapter Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 32 4.6 Timeline ................................................................................................................................................ 33 Chapter 5 Analysis .......................................................................................................................................... 34 5.1 Hugh Glass narrative framework .......................................................................................................... 34 5.2 The Lone Ranger narrative framework ................................................................................................. 35 5.3 “Letters From the West No XIV. The Missouri Trapper” ....................................................................... 36 5.4 The Lone Ranger Radio Show and TV Series ......................................................................................... 40 5.5 Lord Grizzly ........................................................................................................................................... 48 5.6 Man in the Wilderness ......................................................................................................................... 55 5.7 The Lone Ranger Film ........................................................................................................................... 62 5.8 The Revenant........................................................................................................................................ 74 5.9 Analysis Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 85 2 Ariana Mihalik Ward Jespersen English Master’s Thesis 10th Semester Chapter 6: Partial Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 86 Chapter 7: Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 89 7.1: What does the changing nature of the myth of the West reveal about American identity? ............... 89 7.2: The Myth of the West as a Creation Myth........................................................................................... 89 Chapter 8: Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 92 Chapter 9: Further Research .......................................................................................................................... 93 Works Cited .................................................................................................................................................... 95 Cover Page Photos Cited .......................................................................................................................... 102 3 Ariana Mihalik Ward Jespersen English Master’s Thesis 10th Semester Chapter 1 Introduction The phrase “the American West” conjures images from Westerns: cowboys and Indians, outlaws and lawmen, Stetsons, mustangs, and six-shooters. The Western cowboy is an iconic figure, recognized by individuals who have never been to the West, much less roped a steer or shot a pistol. The Western is more than simply a popular culture entertainment genre, it is part of the very identity of America. As such, it has achieved mythic status in its ability to inform Americans about their national identity. Westerns provide an iconic representation of a relatively short period of time in American history. “The legends and heroes of the 20th century that were immortalized in films were based on the mythical era of the Wild West, that brief time in American history between the Civil War and the end of the 19th century when the land of the frontier wilderness was still open and free, providing the perfect birthplace for the idealized American hero” (Indick 1). The Western is a creation myth of individualism, expansion, freedom, and justice. It belongs to a distinctly white, masculine, Christian tradition that prizes “real men” who bring civilization to savage lands while “winning the west.” The myth of the West represents the basis of the American identity that has changed according to historical and cultural context: “The cowboy has been recognized world-wide as one of the most potent and enduing symbols of America. Each generation has rewritten and refilmed the great Western myths and myth-figures to fit its own preoccupations and perceptions” (Richards ix). How was this myth created, how has it changed, and how has it endured? In this thesis, I explore these questions by examining examine
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