Representing Native Americans in Jim Jarmusch's "Dead man"

Essai , 2020 , 16 Pages , Note: 14/20

Filmologie

This paper tends to shed light on one of the fundamental concepts in media studies, which is representation. While talking about minorities such as Natives Americans, representation becomes a process of stereotyping. The white American culture has always misrepresented Native Americans by associating them with derogatory descriptions. However, movies such as Dead Man came to recognize the differences among races throughout the history of America since Christophe Columbus discovered it. This paper also highlights other significant terms in postmodern and postcolonial thought such as rewriting history and intertextuality. As it provides a semiotic reading of Dead Man using the theories of Roland Barthes and other significant figures in this field.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Representing the Native Americans in Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man
• The representation of natives in the American culture:
• Jim Jarsmuch' positive stereotypes about the Natives
• Rewriting history through signs: a semiotic reading of "Dead Man"
• Intertextuality
• Henri Michaux
• William Blake
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper examines the representation of Native Americans in media, specifically focusing on the film "Dead Man" by Jim Jarmusch. It analyzes the stereotypes surrounding Native Americans in American culture and explores how "Dead Man" challenges these traditional portrayals.

• Representation of Native Americans in American culture
• Stereotypes and misrepresentation of Native Americans in media
• Rewriting history through semiotic analysis
• Intertextuality and influence of literary figures on film
• Postmodern and postcolonial perspectives on representation

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The first chapter examines the representation of Native Americans in American culture. It discusses the pervasive use of stereotypes and analyzes how these stereotypes are perpetuated in various media, including films and literature. This chapter also explores the historical context of colonialism and its impact on the representation of Native Americans.
• The second chapter analyzes "Dead Man" by Jim Jarmusch, highlighting its unique approach to representing Native Americans. The chapter focuses on how the film challenges traditional stereotypes and offers a more nuanced understanding of Native American culture and identity.
• The third chapter delves into the intertextuality of "Dead Man", focusing on the influence of literary figures such as Henri Michaux and William Blake on Jarmusch's film. It explores how the film incorporates and reinterprets these literary sources, contributing to its thematic richness and artistic depth.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Key terms and concepts in this paper include representation, stereotypes, Native Americans, American culture, media studies, colonialism, postmodernism, postcolonialism, semiotics, intertextuality, "Dead Man," Jim Jarmusch, Henri Michaux, William Blake, and rewriting history.

• Université: Sultan Moulay Sliman University
• Note: 14/20
• Auteur: Issam El Masmodi (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2020
• Pages: 16
• N° de catalogue: V594595
• ISBN (ebook): 9783346212542
• ISBN (Livre): 9783346212559
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: jim jarsmusch, dead man, representation, native americans, sign, intertextuality