Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter
Keywords
America, Swiss America, Europeans, Translantic Contemplation
Abstract
Ever since its discovery America has fascinated, intrigued and also repelled Europeans. And ever since in the 17th century Europeans have started to emigrate in greater numbers to North America, this land has been a puzzling giant to the transatlantic contemplator. For quite some time, the Europeans' direct experience and even their factual information was limited and, thus, the new continent was understandably prone to be mythified-be it as some sort of earthly paradise where goodness and freedom reigned, be it as a degenerated place infected by all imaginable vices of modern times. Yet even with today's array of information, reports and travel possibilities the image of the USA is more often than not slanted by all kinds of modern versions of the old paradise myths ranging from the popular belief in the wealth of every American to the belief in America's moral strength and its power to eave the democracies of the world. There exists, as Harold Jantz put it, ''a subliminal area of basic assumptions and fundamental myths that underlie the whole German (and European) image of America, subtly influencing its shape, lines and coloring.
Recommended Citation
(1976)
"Scrutinizing a Giant: Frisch's and Duerrenmatt's Views of America,"
Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter: Vol. 12:
Iss.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_newsletter/vol12/iss1/3