- View the West in American Popular Culture presentation [PPTX] West in American Popular Culture presentation [PPTX] – Alternative Formats [ PDF PDF – Alternative Formats ].
- Select six of the art, literature, movies, and TV shows examples provided in the presentation. In at least 400 words, answer the following prompt for each one of your six examples (400 words total for the entire assignment*):
- Identify the example you will write about at the beginning of your essay.
- Compare the example provided in The West in American Popular Culture presentation to the story of the West presented in Chapter 16, “The Conquest of the West,” in Unfinished Nation, as well as the selected readings from Marc Reisner’s Cadillac Desert, in order to explore the ways in which the “mythical West” is similar or dissimilar to the “real West.”
- Explain which western “theme” it reinforces and then explain whether or not it is an accurate reflection of western history, as well as the basis for your assessment. Themes:
- The West as an outlet for rugged individualism.
- The cowboy as an iconic hero.
- The Indians as impediments to American progress and expansion.
