Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
Advisor's Name
Bruce Harvey
Advisor's Title
Committee Chair
Advisor's Name
Heather Russell
Advisor's Name
Yvette Piggush
Keywords
Violence, American Literature, Native Americans, George Armstrong Custer, Thomas Berger
Date of Defense
11-1-2012
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis was to draw new insights on Thomas Berger’s classic American novel, Little Big Man, and his representation of fictional violence that is a substantial aspect of any text on the Indian Wars and “Custer’s Last Stand”. History’s major world wars led to shifts in the political climate and a noted change in the way that violence was represented in the arts. Historical, fictional, and cinematic treatments of “Custer’s Last Stand” and violence were each considered in relation to the text. Berger's version of the famed story is a revision of history that shows the protagonist as a dual-member of two violent societies. The thesis concluded that Berger’s updated American legends and unique “white renegade” character led to a representation of violence that spoke to the current state of affairs in 1964 when the world was becoming much more hostile and chaotic place.
Recommended Citation
Knight, Tatiana E., "A Critique of the Representation of Violence in American Literature:" (2012). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 751.
http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/751