Villainy in western culture : historical archetypes of danger, disorder and death by Kendrick, M. Gregory, 1953- author instant download

Villainy in western culture : historical archetypes of danger, disorder and death by Kendrick, M. Gregory, 1953- author instant download

1 online resource, Every society has its lineup of wicked, unethical characters--real or fictional--who are regarded as villainous. This book explores how Western societies have used villains to sort insiders from outsiders and establish behavioral norms to support harmony and well-being. There are three parts: nature and \"barbarians\" as sinister \"others\" bent on destroying Western civilization; tyrants, traitors and \"femmes fatales\" as challenges to ideals of legitimate governance, patriotism and gender roles; and gangsters, grifters and murderers as models of evil or unprincipled behavior. The author also discusses two related phenomena: the dramatic paring down of what is considered villainous in the West, and the proliferation of over-the-top villains in pop culture and mass media, Online resource; title from PDF title page (EBSCO, viewed March 8, 2016), Includes bibliographical references and index, Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Drawing lines in the sand: the villain as \"other\" -- \"Red in tooth and claw\": the villain as nature -- Sybarites and savages : the villain as barbarian -- Tyrants, traitors and tramps : the villain as agent of discord and disorder -- \"One who rules without law\" : the villain as tyrant -- \"Et tu, brute?\" : the villain as traitor -- \"Her arms are wicked and her legs are long\" : the villain as femme fatale -- The bad seed : the villain as pathology -- Gangsters and grifters : the villain as sociopath -- Rippers and rapists : the villain as psychopathic murderer -- Epilogue. marplots and madmen : the villain as metaphor -- Chapter notes -- Bibliography -- Index