Abstract
This essay applies Russian critic Mikhail Bakhtin's concepts of carnival and grotesque realism to Francis Parkman's The Oregon Trail. Tracing a journey from the civilized east to the uncivilized west, Parkman's narrative expresses a simultaneous fear and fascination towards the Otherness he encounters (and, indeed, constructs) that leads finally to the hybrid carnivalising of his own body. These deep-seated ambivalences in the west ultimately reveal much broader anxieties over social disorder prevalent in the urban east.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
