The Myths That Made America - (American Culture Studies) 2nd Edition by Heike Paul (Paperback)

About the Book

Myths play a vital role in the process of American »nation building«. On the basis of a critical analysis of central American myths this textbook offers an introduction to the field of American (Culture) Studies.

Book Synopsis

This essential introduction to American studies examines the core foundational myths upon which the nation is based and which still determine discussions of US-American identities today. These myths include the myth of »discovery, « the Pocahontas myth, the myth of the Promised Land, the myth of the Founding Fathers, the melting pot myth, the myth of the West, and the myth of the self-made man.
The chapters provide extended analyses of each of these myths, using examples from popular culture, literature, memorial culture, school books, and every-day life. Including visual material as well as study questions, this book will be of interest to any student of American studies and will foster an understanding of the United States of America as an imagined community by analyzing the foundational role of myths in the process of nation building.

Review Quotes

»[Die Analyse ermöglicht] in ihrer Gesamtheit faszinierende Impressionen von Mentalitäten und Idealen, Vorurteilen und Abgrenzungen der US-amerikanischen Gesellschaft des 19. und 20.Jahrhunderts.«-- "Peter Andreas, Historische Zeitschrift, 301 (2015)"

In its entirety, [the analysis offers] fascinating impressions of mentalities and ideals, prejudices and practices of cultural distinction present in the US-American society of the 19th and 20th century.-- "Peter Andreas, Historische Zeitschrift [German bimonthly historical_journal], 301 (2015)"

About the Author

Heike Paul is chair of American studies and speaker of the DFG Research Training Group 2726 »The Sentimental in Literature, Culture and Politics« at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.