Description
Book Synopsis The American popular hero has deeply bipolar origins: Depending on prevailing attitudes about the use or abuse of authority, American heroes may be rooted in the traditions of the Roman conquerors of The Aeneid or of the biblical underdog warriors and prophets.
This book reviews the history of American popular culture and its heroes from the Revolutionary War and pre-Civil War women''s literature to the dime novel tales of Jesse James and Buffalo Bill. Hinge-heroes like The Virginian and the Rider''s of the Purple Sage paved the way for John Wayne''s and Humphrey Bogart''s champions of civilization, while Jimmy Stewart''s scrappy rebels fought soulless bankers and cynical politicians. The 1960s and 1970s saw a wave of new renegades--the doctors of MASH and the rebel alliance of Star Wars--but early 21st Century terrorism called for the grit of world weary cops and the super-heroism of Wonder Woman and Black Panther to make the world sa
Table of Contents
- Preface and Acknowledgments
- Introduction. There Are Two Kinds: This Is Not the Kind You Can Skip
- One. Virtue and Victory Defined
- Two. Aeneas: Roman Prototype of Western European Heroism
- Three. How Aeneas, the Epic Patriot, Made It to America
- Four. Early Biblical Heroism: Moses and David
- Five. The Late Biblical Heroes: Elijah, Jeremiah and Jesus
- Six. Early American Biblical Heroes: Washington, Women and Slaves
- Seven. Aeneas in Disguise: The Dime Novel Seth Jones, Detective Nick Carter and Ragged Dick
- Eight. Dime Novel Biblical Rebellion vs. Aenean Conquerors: Deadwood Dick, Jesse James and Buffalo Bill Compete for Readership
- Nine. The Hinge Heroes: The Virginian and Lassiter
- Ten. American Heroes Challenge Evil on the Silver Screen: Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne
- Eleven. Rebellion of Biblical Proportions at the Movies
- Twelve. Aeneas Resurgent in the 21st Century: John Wayne Refuses to Leave the Building
- Chapter Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
