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The Genesis of the Chicago Renaissance: Theodore Dreiser, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, and James T. Farrell (review)

The Genesis of the Chicago Renaissance: Theodore Dreiser, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, and... 92 Studies in American Naturalism vol. 4, no. 1 ply too far apart to allow for an honest adaptation of his story. He wanted to show America as it was and to examine it critically; to show the murder on the lake and the motivations behind it as arising out of our belief that everything is possible, that our dreams must always come true. But the source of at least some of those dreams was our popular culture, especially the movies. How could the movies then turn around and call their own raison d’etre—their ability to make those dreams visible and audible and collective—into question? At the crudest level, the box offi ce was telling the studios what the people wanted. And what we wanted, and what we continue to want, is not subversion and critique, but illusion. Despite this ultimately gloomy assessment, Merck’s own engagement with the subject is substantial. She provides clear, fascinating analyses of the fi lms, giving both plot précis and extensive discussions of the cine- matic techniques used. And those techniques are discussed not simply for their own sake but as a way to talk about cinematic storytelling. In addi- tion to her own http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Studies in American Naturalism University of Nebraska Press

The Genesis of the Chicago Renaissance: Theodore Dreiser, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, and James T. Farrell (review)

Studies in American Naturalism , Volume 4 (1) – Mar 2, 2010

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Publisher
University of Nebraska Press
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 Studies in American Naturalism
ISSN
1944-6519

Abstract

92 Studies in American Naturalism vol. 4, no. 1 ply too far apart to allow for an honest adaptation of his story. He wanted to show America as it was and to examine it critically; to show the murder on the lake and the motivations behind it as arising out of our belief that everything is possible, that our dreams must always come true. But the source of at least some of those dreams was our popular culture, especially the movies. How could the movies then turn around and call their own raison d’etre—their ability to make those dreams visible and audible and collective—into question? At the crudest level, the box offi ce was telling the studios what the people wanted. And what we wanted, and what we continue to want, is not subversion and critique, but illusion. Despite this ultimately gloomy assessment, Merck’s own engagement with the subject is substantial. She provides clear, fascinating analyses of the fi lms, giving both plot précis and extensive discussions of the cine- matic techniques used. And those techniques are discussed not simply for their own sake but as a way to talk about cinematic storytelling. In addi- tion to her own

Journal

Studies in American NaturalismUniversity of Nebraska Press

Published: Mar 2, 2010

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