Dissertation Information for Fiona Deans HalloranNAME:
DEGREE:
DISCIPLINE:
SCHOOL: ADVISORS: COMMITTEE MEMBERS: MPACT Status: Fully Complete Title: The power of the pencil: Thomas Nast and American political art Abstract: Thomas Nast, 1840-1902, is America's most famous political cartoonist. This dissertation is a political biography which illuminates his life and work in an historical context. Nast is most famous for his creation of iconic political symbols---most notably the Democratic donkey and Republican elephant---and for his successful attack on the Democratic political machine at Tammany Hall. He was also the creator of a complex visual world, complete with victims and perpetrators, heroes and villains. A loyal Republican for most of his career, Nast was famously anti-Catholic, anti-Irish, and anti-Confederate. He adored Ulysses S. Grant and formed long-lasting friendships with many of the Gilded Age's most interesting figures, such as Mark Twain. This dissertation argues for a number of revisions to the historical record with regard to Nast. First, it argues that Nast must be seen as an independent political thinker. Second, the dissertation shows that political cartoons are rich sources of information about the complexities of nineteenth century political thought. Finally, the dissertation asserts the centrality of ideological complexity to nineteenth century thought on a variety of subjects. Nast was not unique for his time. His ability to, at one moment, decry racial violence and then, a moment later, portray African-Americans as children was reflective of his time and place. He can teach us to be wary of simplistic explanations of the political, social, and cultural world of the late nineteenth century. |
MPACT Scores for Fiona Deans HalloranA = 0 Advisors and Advisees Graphgenerating graph, please reload |
Students under Fiona Deans Halloran
ADVISEES:
- None
COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None