Abstract:
This essay argues that Thomas King's novel Green Grass, Running Water contains a fictionalized killing of the American movie star John Wayne to critique the influence of popular culture on historical understandings of the First Nations and Native Americans. Intertextual interpretations of the novel link to films starring John Wayne, and Wayne's public persona and historical influence are contrasted with those of King.
This article “Tom King’s John Wayne: The Western in Green Grass, Running Water” originally appeared in Radio, Film, and Fiction. Spec. issue of Canadian Literature 225 (Summer 2015): 66-80.
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