ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - Loyola University Chicago



Robert L. Smith

Loyola University Chicago

THE FORGOTTEN WAR: THE PACIFIC THEATER OF WORLD WAR II

IN AMERICAN POPULAR MEMORY

The war fought by the United States from 1942 until 1945 in the countries within and surrounding the Pacific Ocean has often been misunderstood and sometimes been neglected in American popular memory. This dissertation attempts to trace the effects of this armed conflict in American popular culture, beginning with war movies made during the war, and continuing through the end of the Cold War. Many salient themes are present in this study: violence, race, nationalism, and the filter of popular media. I argue that interpretations of the war have been influenced by the shifting position of the media in American popular culture, and by new attitudes toward violence, race, and nationalism within the American populace.

The war fought by the United States from 1942 until 1945 in the countries within and surrounding the Pacific Ocean has often been misunderstood and sometimes been neglected in American popular memory. This dissertation attempts to trace the effects of this armed conflict in American popular culture, beginning with war movies made during the war, and continuing through the end of the Cold War. Many salient themes are present in this study: violence, race, nationalism, and the filter of popular media. I argue that interpretations of the war have been influenced by the shifting position of the media in American popular culture, and by new attitudes toward violence, race, and nationalism within the American populace.

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