''The American Monomyth'' is a 1977 book by
Robert Jewett
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...
and
John Shelton Lawrence
John Shelton Lawrence is an emeritus professor of philosophy at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. His initial major publication, ''The American Monomyth'', written with Robert Jewett, was published in 1977.
Career
The maj ...
arguing for the existence and cultural importance of an 'American Monomyth', a variation on the classical
monomyth
In narratology and comparative mythology, the hero's journey, or the monomyth, is the common template of stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis, and comes home changed or transformed.
Earlie ...
as proposed by
Joseph Campbell.
Campbell's monomyth describes a hero's journey: a hero ventures from the normal world into a supernatural one, winning a decisive victory there and returning with a 'boon'. In contrast, Jewett and Lawrence define the American monomyth as:
"A community in a harmonious paradise is threatened by evil; normal institutions fail to contend with this threat; a selfless superhero emerges to renounce temptations and carry out the redemptive task; aided by fate, his decisive victory restores the community to its paradisiacal condition; the superhero then recedes into obscurity."
In their 2002 book ''The Myth of the American Superhero'' (with Lawrence as first author) and their 2003 book ''Captain America And The Crusade Against Evil: The Dilemma Of Zealous Nationalism'' (with Jewett as first author), the authors extend the thesis by using examples from both American popular culture and the American religious tradition.
''The American Monomyth'' posits a level of cultural belief in American society that helps to explain the desire in American government to
"save" the world.
See also
*
American exceptionalism
American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is inherently different from other nations.
Peggy Noonan, an American political pundit, wrote in ''The Wall Street Journal'' that "America is not exceptional because it has long att ...
References
* Jewett, Robert and John Shelton Lawrence (1977) ''The American Monomyth''. New York: Doubleday.
* Lawrence, John Shelton and Robert Jewett. (2002) ''The Myth of the American Superhero''. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans.
* Jewett, Robert and John Shelton Lawrence. (2003) ''Captain America And The Crusade Against Evil: The Dilemma Of Zealous Nationalism''. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans.
* Edward, Fred. (May-June 2003
The Myth of the American Superhero - book review ''Humanist''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:American Monomyth, The
1977 books
American culture
Books about the United States
Narratology
Anchor Books books