Review of Richard Slotkin's "A Great Disorder": How National Myths Shape America's Political Battles
Tom Zoellner reviews Richard Slotkin's "A Great Disorder," a 528-page examination of how national myths have shaped and continue to shape American political identity and conflict. The review explores Slotkin's argument that the United States operates on foundational myths — particularly those rooted in frontier expansion, racial hierarchy, and exceptionalism — that have become deeply contested in modern political battles. Zoellner discusses how Slotkin traces the evolution of American mythology from the colonial era through the present, analyzing how competing narratives about the nation's origins and purpose fuel contemporary cultural and political divisions. The piece reflects on whether America is "a prisoner of its own mythology" and how understanding these mythic structures might help navigate current disorders.
Key quotes
The stories that a country tells itself are just as critical to its functioning as its army, its laws, its borders, and its flag.
Is the United States a prisoner of its own mythology?
Where did the country emerge from, and where might it be heading?
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