Miscontrued Truths
Stephanie Smith
Sean Wheaton
English 102
16 Nov 2013
Can Misconstrued Truth Lead to Altered Realities?
A History of Histories Undoing.
As the dust fell, there lie three men, gunned down in a vacant lot just behind the O.K. Corral. The Earp brothers along with good friend, and known gunslinger Doc Holliday stood in the dust-clearing road. Wounded but not defeated these heroes victoriously took their place in history and hearts all around the world. Tombstone was one of many movies that immortalized certain individuals based off a particular moment of morality. In most instances, we accept these theatrical portrayals for truth however, in multiple cases I have found that “Based off a True Story” is a term which is used very loosely. Movies, television series, and literature have taken liberties with how our history has flowed through them. A small tweak here and there, a few different times throughout a film or story, and the resulting misconceptions that arise can become astronomical. The media has such an enormous impact on society that they have altered our understandings on the reality of what truly transpired. In order to have historical idols we should be prompted to display their stories entirely in an accurate manner. There have been multiple media influences, which have morphed our educational and ethical views by enhancing the image of specific characters or events. After the Civil war of 1861-1865, Americans began moving west to settle the land and escape the social and economic destruction that followed the war. Upon the discovery of precious metals such as, silver and gold, many more flooded westward to “strike it rich”. For years to follow, came the well-known lifestyle of the American Cowboy and the Old West stigmas that flourished from this period. This era dawned a new horizon for the entertainment and literature media for it was teeming with stories of action, adventure, and romance. As many of these stories did occur, a large web of
Sean Wheaton
English 102
16 Nov 2013
Can Misconstrued Truth Lead to Altered Realities?
A History of Histories Undoing.
As the dust fell, there lie three men, gunned down in a vacant lot just behind the O.K. Corral. The Earp brothers along with good friend, and known gunslinger Doc Holliday stood in the dust-clearing road. Wounded but not defeated these heroes victoriously took their place in history and hearts all around the world. Tombstone was one of many movies that immortalized certain individuals based off a particular moment of morality. In most instances, we accept these theatrical portrayals for truth however, in multiple cases I have found that “Based off a True Story” is a term which is used very loosely. Movies, television series, and literature have taken liberties with how our history has flowed through them. A small tweak here and there, a few different times throughout a film or story, and the resulting misconceptions that arise can become astronomical. The media has such an enormous impact on society that they have altered our understandings on the reality of what truly transpired. In order to have historical idols we should be prompted to display their stories entirely in an accurate manner. There have been multiple media influences, which have morphed our educational and ethical views by enhancing the image of specific characters or events. After the Civil war of 1861-1865, Americans began moving west to settle the land and escape the social and economic destruction that followed the war. Upon the discovery of precious metals such as, silver and gold, many more flooded westward to “strike it rich”. For years to follow, came the well-known lifestyle of the American Cowboy and the Old West stigmas that flourished from this period. This era dawned a new horizon for the entertainment and literature media for it was teeming with stories of action, adventure, and romance. As many of these stories did occur, a large web of
Cited: McReynolds, Douglas J. “Alive and Well: Western myth in Western Movies: Literature/Film Quarterly, 26.1 (1998): 46-52. Proquest. Web. 15 Oct 2013. Ware, David. "Wyatt Earp: The Life Behind the Legend." History 26.4 (1998): 205-6. ProQuest. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. "Doc Holliday: The Life and Legend." Publishers Weekly 253.9 (2006): 50. ProQuest. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. Gentile, Douglas; Walsh, David, A normative study of family media habits (Minneapolis: National Institute on Media and the Family, 2002).