Myth-making and Uchronia: The Advent of a Fascist America in Nathanael West’s A Cool Million (1934)
Nathanael West’s A Cool Million (1934) has been largely viewed as both a deadpan parody of the «Rags to Riches» success story popularized by Horatio Alger and a satire on nascent fascism in Depression-era America. In the novel, two storylines cross-pollinate: ex-President Nathan «Shagpoke» Whipple’s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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UMR 5136- France, Amériques, Espagne – Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs (FRAMESPA)
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| Series: | Les Cahiers de Framespa |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/4276 |
| _version_ | 1797306533463195648 |
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| author | Frank Conesa |
| author_facet | Frank Conesa |
| author_sort | Frank Conesa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nathanael West’s A Cool Million (1934) has been largely viewed as both a deadpan parody of the «Rags to Riches» success story popularized by Horatio Alger and a satire on nascent fascism in Depression-era America. In the novel, two storylines cross-pollinate: ex-President Nathan «Shagpoke» Whipple’s successful fascist revolution and young Lemuel Pitkin’s thwarted Algeresque success story. As young Pitkin gets dismantled and eventually assassinated, the retrained politician sets out to create his own Revolutionary Party to save his country from decay. This paper will re-articulate the two trajectories and show how they actually inform an American fascist myth. I will argue that in the context of the Depression, A Cool Million emerges as a uchronia, an alternate history dramatizing the advent of a dictator who decides to exterminate all that is un-American, seizing upon Lemuel Pitkin’s martyr to forge and enunciate the official mythology of the new political regime. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T00:43:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7070a5394f2640ca9e4ea5fef0e14873 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1760-4761 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T00:43:15Z |
| publisher | UMR 5136- France, Amériques, Espagne – Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs (FRAMESPA) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Les Cahiers de Framespa |
| spelling | doaj.art-7070a5394f2640ca9e4ea5fef0e148732024-02-15T12:46:26ZengUMR 5136- France, Amériques, Espagne – Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs (FRAMESPA)Les Cahiers de Framespa1760-47612410.4000/framespa.4276Myth-making and Uchronia: The Advent of a Fascist America in Nathanael West’s A Cool Million (1934)Frank ConesaNathanael West’s A Cool Million (1934) has been largely viewed as both a deadpan parody of the «Rags to Riches» success story popularized by Horatio Alger and a satire on nascent fascism in Depression-era America. In the novel, two storylines cross-pollinate: ex-President Nathan «Shagpoke» Whipple’s successful fascist revolution and young Lemuel Pitkin’s thwarted Algeresque success story. As young Pitkin gets dismantled and eventually assassinated, the retrained politician sets out to create his own Revolutionary Party to save his country from decay. This paper will re-articulate the two trajectories and show how they actually inform an American fascist myth. I will argue that in the context of the Depression, A Cool Million emerges as a uchronia, an alternate history dramatizing the advent of a dictator who decides to exterminate all that is un-American, seizing upon Lemuel Pitkin’s martyr to forge and enunciate the official mythology of the new political regime.https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/4276mythNathanael WestA Cool Millionuchroniafascism |
| spellingShingle | Frank Conesa Myth-making and Uchronia: The Advent of a Fascist America in Nathanael West’s A Cool Million (1934) Les Cahiers de Framespa myth Nathanael West A Cool Million uchronia fascism |
| title | Myth-making and Uchronia: The Advent of a Fascist America in Nathanael West’s A Cool Million (1934) |
| title_full | Myth-making and Uchronia: The Advent of a Fascist America in Nathanael West’s A Cool Million (1934) |
| title_fullStr | Myth-making and Uchronia: The Advent of a Fascist America in Nathanael West’s A Cool Million (1934) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Myth-making and Uchronia: The Advent of a Fascist America in Nathanael West’s A Cool Million (1934) |
| title_short | Myth-making and Uchronia: The Advent of a Fascist America in Nathanael West’s A Cool Million (1934) |
| title_sort | myth making and uchronia the advent of a fascist america in nathanael west s a cool million 1934 |
| topic | myth Nathanael West A Cool Million uchronia fascism |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/4276 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT frankconesa mythmakinganduchroniatheadventofafascistamericainnathanaelwestsacoolmillion1934 |