Norman Mailer's Use of Frontier Metaphor

Author

Grace P. Witt, Fort Hays Kansas State College

Department

English

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Abstract

Norman Mailer's romantic conception of the frontier as-possibility or the uncreated future and the frontiersman as symbol of resistance, individualism, resolution, courage, and self-reliance has led Mailer gradually to transform the resolute and courageous pioneer into the bad man, who, in the guise of the Hipster, becomes the hero of Mailer's latest novel, An American Dream. The study, treating both Mailer's non-fiction prose and his novels, examines first the traditional uses of the frontier metaphor in American literature and then Mailer's use of frontier metaphor to determine how his conception of the frontier follows or deviates from the traditional concept. The procedure is to show first Mailer's use of the frontier, then his use of the frontiersman, and finally his development of the bad man as hero.

Keywords

Norman Mailer (1923-2007), Authors, American literature, Analysis, Frontier & pioneer life, Nonfiction novel

Advisor

Dr. William R. Thompson

Date of Award

Summer 1967

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

DOI

10.58809/IOWW9640

Recommended Citation

Witt, Grace P., "Norman Mailer's Use of Frontier Metaphor" (1967). Master's Theses. 1106.
DOI: 10.58809/IOWW9640
Available at: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/theses/1106

Rights

© The Author(s)

Comments

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