Wild West as an American myth

One of the most important factors in the formation of the American nation, its culture and psychology was the promotion of the first settlers to the depths of the country towards the Great Ocean. The essence of the frontier was conquest and the development of new, not yet inhabited lands. A frontiersman, or pioneer, a person who constantly lived on the edge of civilization and savagery, turned into a new, enterprising creature. "Fighting savagery taught the colonists... she tore off their clothes, gave them moccasins and a hunting shirt. Little by little, they changed their environment,” wrote the romantic frontier historian Frederick Jackson Turner, whose research on the role of the frontier showed the nation's desire to idealize and mythologize its past.

But if we don't talk about myths, then the American history between the revolution and the Civil War was the history of the movement to the West. Ahead of them were lone pioneers, pathfinders, and trappers. They made their way without stopping anywhere. They were followed by farmers who were taking root in Novaya Zemlya. And then came the third wave, which brought with it urban culture. Settlers usually moved in groups, and also settled in groups. It was dangerous to travel, at least until those who followed them laid the railway.

At the end of the XVIII century, the American frontier was already inhabited by about 900 thousand people, but their number grew every year. The movement included Virginians, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Yorkers, and Carolinians. They were joined by new aliens who hoped to find their destiny in still uninhabited lands. Call “To The West!"it was heard in all the colonies. Moving away from the Atlantic coast, the pioneers, in fact, for the first time broke away from European civilization towards the Unknown, or, as they said then, “into the arms of savagery.” This, in turn, meant that the pioneers became dependent on the nature around them and had to accumulate a completely new experience of adapting to the new environment, mastering and taming it. Food, clothing, housing – everything was made from what was at hand. Even where more stable settlements emerged on the basis of forts and stations, basic necessities were almost a luxury. Weaving, turning and shoemaking developed. Simplicity of morals flourished. Diseases but epidemics have claimed countless lives. The absence of doctors made itself felt. Life was very difficult, especially for women.

However, the people were hospitable. The frontiersmen were happy to let travelers into their already crowded huts to learn news about other lands and areas. The curiosity of the settlers was boundless, but the tendency to brag was endless. They boasted of their strength, accuracy, horse and dog, wife, and even the brightness of the moon and sun in these places. Moreover, this bragging was harmless, and even had a positive side: it added courage, which was extremely necessary for survival in those conditions. The frontiersman had an American version of English adapted to his lifestyle, and religious rites adapted to the conditions of the frontier.

American researchers rightly note the presence of four aspects in the mythology of the frontier, which were reflected both in early folklore and in classical literature, represented by the work of writers such as Fenimore Cooper, and much later – by American cinema, which poetized the era of the frontier in films called “Western”. However, when they say “western”, they see, first of all, Cowboys. But it's in the movies, and historically, the frontier is, first of all, the pioneers who settled the West, their way of life. At the same time, the frontier was, of course, an escape from civilization, a desire to merge with nature into one. Third, the frontier was a kind of enterprise. He was associated with dreams of wealth. Furs, wood, and later Gold and oil pushed people to move faster to reach the cherished “there” first. First – at any cost. And finally-the Earth – the vast expanses on which you can settle, start life again, and since the Earth was so much, it seemed that it was enough for everyone. Is this alone not enough to create a new, Just Society? So it seemed. From the totality of all these factors, the idea of the frontier was formed.

In folklore, this era of Frontier Development is called the epic of The Taming of the Wild West.

However, behind the heroics and romance of frontite, there was also a less attractive side: the success of the first settlers and the well – being of the nation were accompanied by the merciless destruction of the Native American population-the Indians and the barbaric destruction of the riches of nature.

The conquest of the frontier ended with the Indians being deprived of their land and driven to reservations. The destruction of nature will make itself felt later, at the end of the XX century and will cost the nation dearly.

One of the most obvious features that distinguish the American folklore hero from the European one is that his adventures were always tinged with humor. After all, in fact, there are many heroic heroes, but only a few of them are comic. In this sense, the American national hero is also heroic because of his clowning. Perhaps the connection between heroics and comedy was the essence of life itself in the United States of those years. Frontier's humor was quite peculiar. They laughed at new aliens, and most often – at those who came only to see, and if necessary, to earn extra money.

The rapid development of the newspaper business during this period led to the fact that all these improbable “fables” – true nevernever — became the property not only of the Americans of the frontier, but also of the inhabitants of the Old World. These jokes, jokes, and anecdotes will later be used to build numerous humorous and satirical stories by Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Bret Garth, O'henry, and other great American writers.

According to American historians, by 1850 the frontier era was geographically and historically over. However, in the sphere of spiritual life of the country, in the psychology and culture of the nation, it is still alive. It is also alive in the expansionist politics of imperialist circles, in the psychology of the United States, and in the products of “mass culture”. It is also alive in the true democratic traditions of the American people, in their hard work, and, of course, in humor.