This paper will try to work and point out parallels and differences between a classical piece of American literature, Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, and contemporary Hollywood blockbuster cinema, represented by Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. Point of departure and main focus of this paper will be the concept and aspects of the frontier and it’s reoccurrence as a mythological tool throughout American cultural history. After establishing the historical concept of the frontier, I will therefore go ahead and dig for traces of how this is woven into both works, which in conclusion will hopefully show the assumed American cultural connection between the later acclaimed book written some 150 years ago looking deep into the romantic soul of its protagonist and a consumerist movie from the early nineties that was able to use the benefits of a huge marketing machine to attract its viewership and became a worldwide box office hit. The usefulness of such an undertaking may be questionable for followers of classical cultural American studies but I would like to go with Paul Lauter here and filter out the trivial in mass culture to get to the subject’s core of meaning. Essays from his book From Walden Pond to Jurassic Park inspired to look for similarities in those two pieces and maybe find a development of what the concept of the frontier has been transformed into through societal and cultural changes within the last century.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Frontier in American Society
2.1 Concept and Myth
2.2 Thoreau and Walden
2.3 Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park
3. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the evolution of the American frontier myth by establishing parallels between Henry David Thoreau’s 19th-century literary classic Walden and Steven Spielberg’s 20th-century blockbuster Jurassic Park, analyzing how the concept has shifted from transcendentalist philosophy to a commodified cultural spectacle.
- The historical construction of the "Frontier Thesis" by Frederick Jackson Turner.
- Thoreau’s transcendentalist interpretation of the frontier as an inner and outer journey.
- The transformation of wilderness into a commodity through theme parks and nature preserves.
- The role of technology and capitalism in shaping modern perceptions of nature.
- The use of popular cinema as a modern "cultural frontier" for identity construction.
Excerpt from the Book
2.3 Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park has been a major box office success in 1993. Grossing an estimated sum of $914 million worldwide the movie is in still in the Top 20 commercially successful movies of all time. It would be speculative at best to bind this triumph to the mythical elements of the plot or the state-of-the-art technology used during production alone. However, tracing the roots of the American society through the frontier theme in this piece of popular culture is subject of this paper and may hint to the causes of its massive audience attraction. Last not least the worldwide achievements of the film can be portrayed as a success on a cultural frontier.
Taking up the structure of the several frontier aspects I have shown to appear in Thoreau’s Walden, the first reiteration of the frontier in Jurassic Park is its geographic setting. The park is set up on a fictional island off the coast of Costa Rica called Isla Nublar. This presumably untouched wilderness preserve area has been rented out by the Costa Rican government to the American entrepreneur John Hammond (played by Richard Attenborough). The same way that the Hammond character spared no expense to create his park, the movie does not spare in angles to view at the vast wilderness of the island. The economical claim of (pacific) territory recalls earlier frontier history when America took possession of Western land as through the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 or the Alaska Purchase in 1867. The acquisition of explorable territory by the American reopens a new but externalized frontier for American guests (as well as the rest of the world) which the US had lacked for exactly 100 years by the time the movie hit the theaters.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The author outlines the scope of the study, which compares Thoreau’s Walden with Spielberg’s Jurassic Park to identify shared mythological roots in the American frontier concept.
2. The Frontier in American Society: This chapter contextualizes the theoretical framework by discussing the Turner thesis and its enduring impact on American identity and societal development.
2.1 Concept and Myth: This section explores the historical definitions of the frontier as both a physical borderline and a shifting myth that shapes the American character.
2.2 Thoreau and Walden: The author examines how Thoreau utilized the idea of the frontier to promote transcendentalist ideals, simplicity, and a spiritual connection with nature.
2.3 Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park: This chapter analyzes the film as a modern manifestation of the frontier myth, highlighting how technology and capitalism have reshaped the wilderness experience.
3. Conclusion: The author summarizes how the frontier myth persists in contemporary culture, shifting from an actual explorer's experience to a performed, commodified spectacle in modern media.
Keywords
Frontier, American History, Walden, Jurassic Park, Henry David Thoreau, Steven Spielberg, Wilderness, Myth, Technology, Capitalism, Cultural Imperialism, Transcendentalism, Popular Culture, Identity, Nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central premise of this work?
The work explores the connection between Henry David Thoreau’s Walden and the film Jurassic Park, specifically how the American frontier myth has been transformed over time.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The core themes include the American frontier myth, the relationship between man and nature, the critique of technological advancement, and the influence of popular culture on national identity.
What is the research goal?
The goal is to trace the evolution of the frontier concept from a 19th-century romantic ideal to a 20th-century capitalist commodity, illustrating how American culture continually reinvents its foundational myths.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses a comparative cultural studies approach, applying historical concepts from Frederick Jackson Turner and literary analysis to dissect contemporary film.
What does the main body of the work address?
It provides a historical overview of the frontier thesis, analyzes Thoreau’s work as a reflection of inner and outer frontiers, and interprets Jurassic Park as a modern site of technological and cultural frontier struggles.
Which keywords best describe this analysis?
Key terms include the frontier myth, transcendentalism, technological skepticism, nature as commodity, and the role of mass culture.
How does the author define the "scientific frontier" in the context of the film?
The author argues that Jurassic Park uses genetic engineering to represent a new, man-made frontier, where science acts as a force that attempts to control nature, ultimately leading to disaster.
In what way does the film Jurassic Park mirror the skepticism found in Walden?
The film echoes Thoreau's concerns through characters like Ian Malcolm, who questions the morality of technological control over nature, suggesting that the drive for profit often overrides the need for ethical restraint.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the modern "frontier"?
The author concludes that in contemporary America, the authentic frontier experience has vanished, replaced by a "performed frontier" where wilderness is commodified for entertainment and consumption.
- Citation du texte
- Andreas Schwarz (Auteur), 2011, The Key Concept of the Frontier Transformed - From "Walden" to "Jurassic Park", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/187499
