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Show 148 Cory Robinson The American desert west has continually been perceived as a wasteland. This perception has been informed by a long history of evolving perceptions of the American west as a whole. One of the driv-ing forces behind the Manifest Destiny doctrine of early American history was the myth that the west had limitless potential for agricultural production. That myth became defunct as settlers found the desert west unviable for agriculture, resulting in their view of the desert west as a wasteland. Later, with the detonation of the Trinity Bomb in New Mexico, the desert landscape became valued for its inhospitable nature and lack of inhabitants. In the name of national interest and security, this the per-ceived wasteland of the American desert west became the site of atomic bomb tests, military bases, uranium mines, and nuclear waste. This project attempts to answer the question: What role has literature played in influencing popular perception of the American desert west as a wasteland? The project searches for answers to this ques-tion using a combination of the humanitistic methods of literary criticism and rhetorical criticism to analyze pieces of American literature. I selected texts based on their ability to provide insight on his-torical and contemporary perceptions of the American desert west. The texts for analysis include: The Last Cheater's Waltz, Savage Dreams, Refuge, Virgin Lands, Fire on the Mountain, Land of Little Rain, The Arid Lands, and others. My findings suggest that popular perceptions of the desert as wasteland have been and continue to be dynamic and complex. Although these perceptions have continually evolved, they are rooted in history and are bound up with political and societal conventions. Addi-tionally, these perceptions have been and are being applied to the land, through governmental and industrial policy such as the decisions to test atomic bombs and store nuclear waste in this "waste-land" region. Better understanding of the literary and rhetorical dimensions of desert west not only contribute to literary criticism and rhetorical criticism but also lead to better policy making in the future. WASTE, SACRIFICE, AND THE NUCLEAR LANDSCAPE Cory Robinson (Danielle Endres) Department of English University of Utah Danielle Endres francis family foundation URO P scholar 2011-2012 |