Lesson Overview:
Students explore the cultural myth of the Old West. After an introductory discussion about cultural ideals and values, students read "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" and discuss essayist Frederick Jackson Turner's thoughts and assumptions about the American character. They then view the musical Oklahoma! and analyze the extent to which the musical reflects or supports Turner's ideas about "American-ness."
Length of Lesson:
Three 45-minute class periods
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- identify archetypal characters in Oklahoma!.
- know the key points presented in Frederick Jackson Turner's "The Significance of the Frontier in the American Experience."
- be able to analyze the cultural mythology of the American frontier.
Supplies:
Instructional Plan:
Session 1:
Several days before teaching the lesson, ask students to bring in a photo of a person that they believe is representative of America.
Divide students into small groups. Have students share their pictures, identifying the characteristics that they feel make the person representative of America. Each group should compile a list of the characteristics used to describe the individuals, drawing a star next to those qualities or characteristics that are mentioned more than once.
When the activity is complete, allow each group to share the list of "American" characterisitics that they compiled. Discuss those words and phrases that are similar across all groups, and record these ideas on large chart paper for later use.
Introduce the idea of a cultural identity. Ask students whether they think that America has a shared cultural identity, and shared values. Do we tend to agree on the qualities that define the American character? How do they fit in to our commonly held ideas of America (i.e., the land of opportunity, the Melting Pot, the land of the free and home of the brave, etc.)?
Ask students to think about the frontier cowboy. What words or phrases come to mind? To what extent is the mythical frontier cowboy an example of an idealized American?
For homework, assign students to read the online version of the 19th-century historian Frederick Jackson Turner's essay, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History."
Session 2:
Go over the key points of Turner's essay to ensure that students have absorbed the content of the essay. Review with students the closing portion of the essay:
". . . to the frontier the American intellect owes its striking characteristics. That coarseness and strength combined with acuteness and inquisitiveness; that practical, inventive turn of mind, quick to find expedients; that masterful grasp of material things, lacking in the artistic but powerful to effect great ends; that restless, nervous energy; that dominant individualism, working for good and for evil, and withal that buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom—these are traits of the frontier, or traits called out elsewhere because of the existence of the frontier. Since the days when the fleet of Columbus sailed into the waters of the New World, America has been another name for opportunity, and the people of the United States have taken their tone from the incessant expansion which has not only been open but has even been forced upon them."
Ask students whether they agree with Turner's assessment of American qualities, and the extent to which the frontier can be considered the defining element that shaped the American experience. (If time allows, you may wish to discuss Turner's attitude toward Native Americans and what Turner deems the "slavery question.")
Compare the list of words that Turner uses to describe the American character to those that the class generated in the first discussion. Note any significant similarities or differences. Ask students whether they believe that the ideas about an "ideal American" (as well as "American ideals") have changed over time. How has America's cultural mythology changed or adapted? Which aspects of the American character seem to be timeless? Antiquated? Modern?
Session 3:
Have the students view the film Oklahoma!, or if possible, attend a stage production. (This can be done outside of class, if necessary).
Prior to viewing the show or film, explain to students that Oklahoma! was a revolutionary musical, and was a sensational hit when it opened in 1943. Unlike previous musicals, Oklahoma! fully integrated the songs into the storyline, so that the musical elements helped to advance the plot and develop character. Tell the students that critics were initially skeptical that Oklahoma! would reach a wide audience, because it did not contain the standard musical conventions of slapstick gags and chorus girls. (Critics at the time predicted, "No girls, no gags, no chance.) However, audiences embraced the story, and Oklahoma! became a blockbuster hit. The musical ran on Broadway for five years and nine months, becoming one of the most successful and influential musicals of all time.
After the class has viewed the musical, begin the following discussion.
Note that Oklahoma! is set in 1907, 18 years after Frederick Jackson Turner wrote his essay. Ask students whether the image of America depicted in Oklahoma! exhibits any of the frontier-shaped America defined by Turner. (Consider the characteristics of the hero and the villain, the dynamic between the farmer and the cowmen, the lack of a formal law enforcer such as a sheriff, the attitude toward urban life in Kansas City, the fact that Oklahoma is on the verge of statehood, etc.)
Focus the discussion on the characters in the story, specifically Curly and Judd. What are their distinguishing characteristics? Do they share any of the same qualities? What makes one a hero and one a villain?
Now ask students to consider the time at which Oklahoma! debuted (at the height of World War II). Ask students to consider the events of the time period. Have students discuss what the prevailing mood in America may have been at the time (i.e., strong patriotism, even jingoism; rallying around a common cause; a fear or rejection of "foreignness"; the treatment of Americans with German and Japanese descent during World War II).
Ask students to consider what elements of Oklahoma! would appeal to a World War II audience. What aspects of Curly's character might have made the audiences embrace him as a romantic hero? How do these qualities reflect or differ from the "American qualities" that Turner identified and those that the students identified in the first session?
Have students create a Venn Diagram in which they compare and contrast Curly to both Frederick Jackson Turner's idealized American and the "quintessential" American that they selected at the beginning of the activity. Which aspects of the American character emerge as constant or timeless? Which are somewhat antiquated? Which are more modern?
Assessment:
Have students respond to the following writing prompt, using the Venn Diagram they have created as a reference:
Write an analysis of Curly, the hero of Oklahoma!. Evaluate the extent to which these characters manifest the traits and values that Frederick Jackson Turner identifies as "American" (these can be positive or negative). Also examine whether the characters have traits that differ or conflict with Turner's thesis. How are these characters viewed by other characters in the musical? How is the audience expected to regard them?
Extensions:
Frederick Jackson Turner's essay views the "American character" as implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) Euro-centric and male. Engage the class in a discussion of how the musical Oklahoma! presents characters who do not fit into these categories. How are women (i.e., Laurie, Ado Annie, Aunt Eller) portrayed in the musical? How is "foreignness" (i.e., Ali Hakim) presented? Do these characters possess any characteristics that fit with Turner's view of "Americanness"? Do you think that Turner would agree with the representation of the "other" in Oklahoma!?
As an extension, have students engage in a mock casting exercise. Give the students the following task:
Thanks to the success of recent movie musicals, a Hollywood producer has decided to re-make a production of Oklahoma!. You are hired as the casting director. Your first task is to select two actors to play the central characters of Curly and Judd. The film director envisions the movie as a rosy celebration of the cultural myth of the "Old West," and he wants the cast to represent classic American archetypes of hero and villain.
Your job is to suggest two actors to play Curly and Judd. You must provide the director with a written justification of why the two actors would fit his vision for the film, and why audiences would respond to these two actors as hero and villain.
Authors:
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ARTSEDGE
The John F. Kennedy Center
Washington, DC
