The Frontier in American Literature: An introduction Monday, 19 November 2018 Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Resources are boundless Frontier A line of separation and confrontation, moving steadily West across the American continent In essence a line to separate the white settlers from the Native Americans. By 19th Century a line dividing civilisation and urbanisation from wilderness. By 1890s Turner proposes the Frontier Thesis – the search to reach the ever expanding frontier brings about American Democracy. In 20th Century some will see America’s overseas claims as further frontier seeking. FRONTIER Space to develop opportunity Resources are boundless Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Reasons to seek the frontier 1: Defficiency Motivation: A lack of resources or success in the East drives the pioneer onwards to the West 2: Abundancy Motivation: Driven by greed and by a thirst for adventure. 3: Manifest Destiny: The need to spread God’s teaching across the new world and to explore this new Eden. In all cases the Frontier required one to sever links with the past and established the tradition of the loner: self sufficient, hospitable to strangers and capable of facing huge odds. Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Types of Frontiersman USERS SUBDUERS Trappers Woodsmen Prospectors Missionaries Herdsmen Boatmen All using the wilderness for own ends but leaving it unchanged. Farmers, subsistence and larger Lawmen Churches Businessmen Lawyers All involved in taming the wilderness Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Ideas to explore in Huckleberry Finn Frontier refers both to the place and the attitude of mind ripe for ‘improvement’ Pioneers travel West to seek a better life than that offered in the East Pioneers travel West to seek adventure Leaving behind the ‘old’ leads to the development of a new mindset and morality No room for fear – success is judged in the ability to overcome adversity Development of the land/mind is only achieved by subduing it – no place for co-existence A male world - women fulfil very stereotypical roles. Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Behaviours to recognise Rarely will a character belong to one column or the other in isolation… Cattlemen/Ranchers Homesteaders/Farmers Lawless Lawful Use Land to produce Re-Use land to produce Money as a driver Wish to develop the country Resist civilisation Embrace and Improve civilisation Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Consider these art works Consider these art works. What might they tell us about the perception of the Frontier? Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Durand, In the Woods Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Durand: Kindred Spirits Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Inness: The Rainbow Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Inness: The Clouded Sun Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Bingham: Fur Traders Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
An American Indian. Photograph: Curtis Jonathan Peel JLS 2018
Moran: An Indian Paradise Jonathan Peel JLS 2018