The Significance of the Western Myth in Modern America

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 2,0, University of Paderborn (Institut fur Anglistik/Amerikanistik), course: Pro-Seminar ‘The American Frontier’, language: English, abstract: In this term paper I’m going to answer the question if the Western Myth and the idea of an American Frontier are still current topics in modern day America. The glorified myth of a frontier moving faster and faster into the unknown is deeply rooted in the heads of the American people, since the first settlers moved westwards, over hundred-fifty years ago. It had an enormous impact on America’s history and on its national identity. But can this idea of a frontier still be found today, or is it just a historically important, but today mostly unappealing episode in recent history books? Furthermore, I will try to find an answer where hints and connections to the myth of the Old West - with its cowboys, lonesome riders and sheriffs - can be found in modern American culture. Are those images of the wild, deserted West still topical and influential, and if so, where. In which parts of life and culture can they be found, or are the Old West and the Western Myth just outdated? I’m going to carry out my researches about this topic with the help of the books ‘The American frontier - Go West, young man’ by Prof. Dr. Michael Porsche, ‘The frontier in American History’ by Frederick Jackson Turner, ‘The Wild West: Myth and History’ by Alexander Emmerich and several internet sources to illustrate and prove my theses. At the end of this term paper I hope to be able to point out, in which parts of everyday life in modern America references to the myth of the Wild West and the American Frontier can be found and which significance they have.