John Wayne's Impact On American Society

The mythos of America had started long before the era of modern militarism; however, it had boomed in popularity during said era due to John Wayne. It was soon known to be the John Wayne mythos. Said mythos became of the talk of the nation, filling up novels and films, and used as propaganda for the war. It is built on heroism, the idea that America is the impeccable saviour of the world—that they are always right, no matter what the situation is. Despite how bright this mythos seems, it has some extremely negative effects on the American society. This heroic mythos of America is ruining said nation by creating distrust and violent characters among the people. To begin, this mythos has heavily influenced the American government to hide the
The mythos itself does everything it can to hide the fact that with the war, comes trauma and emotional baggage. In fact, John Wayne and the characters that perfectly allude to him are always fine after the war—they come out stronger than ever and seem to ready to defend their country once again if needed. The truth, however, is that this mythos drags people into the war, feeling hopeful and bright, and spits them out as an empty shell. It changes their way of thinking and living entirely. For instance, in the short story The Red Convertible by Louise Erdrich, she tells the tale of two brothers, Henry and Lyman, and how the war had ruined their tight bond. In this story, the older brother, Henry, had signed up for the war and was taken away after an enjoyable and memorable road trip with his brother. It was during the war where Henry was taken as prisoner of the Vietnamese and what had occurred during that time was left to reader's imagination. When he returns, he is a whole new person; he is emotionless and stoic. In fact, while watching the television with his family, Henry unconsciously bites through his bottom lips, busting it up and causing it to bleed all over his jaw. This action is a symbol of self-violence—it shines light upon the emotional baggage of the war and how it is able to both mentally and physically destroy a person. It erases the light from his or her eyes and fills them with darkness. It locks him or her inside his or her own thoughts, causing said person to feel lost and uncomfortable in mundane situations. It even creates distance between him or her and his or her loved ones. In some way, everyone is affected violently by the war. For instance, Lyman's older brother was ripped away from him; their once tight bond could never be saved after the war as shown by the symbol of their brotherhood, the red convertible, being pushed into and