This course is an intensive study of several classic American Westerns, in both print and film. The American Western reflects something fundamental about both the American mind and the American regime. The Western's emphasis on courage and self-reliance, for example, arises from that same American character that forms the basis of self-government. The American Western also raises important questions central to American political life, among which are the meaning of justice, equality, and liberty. This course will also address the question of how American politics both influences and is influenced by literature in the Western genre.
Instructors: Christopher Burkett is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Ashland University. John Marini is Professor of Political Science at the University of Nevada-Reno.