The American Frontier And Violence In Huck Finn

settlement at any given time during the westward expansion of the

nation. It began in Jamestown in 1607 and the line kept moving west. The period of time known as the "Wild West" nation. It began in Jamestown in 1607 and the line kept moving west. The period of time known as the "Wild West" nation. It began in Jamestown in 1607 and the line kept moving west. The period of time known as the "Wild West" was from about 1835 until 1895, and the area for which it identifies was roughly the land west of the Mississippi River. The West was harsh and rugged and in order to conquer it, only the brave and strong could survive. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 almost doubled the size of the country and there was no shortage of settlers heading toward the setting sun. Many attitudes and principles accompanied these migrants. Rugged individualism, conquest, progress, free enterprise, the right to bear arms, and law and order principles reinforced American ideals. The sheriff was a major player in these processes. The early settlements of the West were smal!

l and isolated and usually exhibited a reasonable amount of peace and order. Violence existed more as a by-produ

friendly, hard working, and just. The majority literally practiced the

On September 11th 2001, our country was struck with violence of the highest degree. Two planes crashed purposefully with intent into two of our nations standing symbols the Twin Towers of New York City. Violent acts like these have been a growing concern within our country. With each terrorist act and school shooting like Columbine, our government officials question ways we can prevent something like them from happening again. We try to blame someone for the violence in our country. Many blame the violent depictions set in the media today. Video games traditionally trick childrens minds into thinking that after a man is shot or a building blows up, that they can just press a button and start all over again. According to multiple studies, violence in the media is glorified and has a huge impact on young children who do not know any better. “Family Fun” magazine says that media violence fails to show the consequences of such actions. This occurs most frequently in cartoons, toy!

So I guess it is fair to assume that the films and stories of the American frontier influence many of the violent images in the media today and possibly influence people to enact violent things.

reputation was largely over-exaggerated. In reality, the West did not

build a new life in the West, and crime was not their original intent.

Many Westerns contain fights do to family murders or crime. In the novel, Hick Finn, is between the Grangerfords, a well-to-do family that takes Huck in, and the Shepherdsons, a well respected family whose son runs away with one of the Grangerford daughters. By running away together, these two cause a huge fight between their families. Many lives are lost because of this event. But Buck, who was about Huck's age and always nice to him. The way Buck talks about killing men in chapter eighteen and nineteen makes it almost seem like there is no harm in doing it. Killing is seen as a way for families to keep their honor or a step in a boys path of growing up, a common sterotype in gangs and some families that still exists today. An excerpt from the book shows this "Well," says Buck, "a feud is this way: a man has a quarrel with another man and kills him; then that other man's brother kills him; then the other man's brother kills him; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the cousins chip in - and by and by everybody's killed off, and there ain't no more feud." It almost seems like the loss of so

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