Thesis advisor: John Michalczyk / Stanley Kubrick explored and subverted the concept of American Myth throughout his filmography. American Myth may include the notion of social mobility (the American Dream), the archetypal gunslinger of the American West, the righteousness of a democratic system, a belief in social egalitarianism, and explicit foreign policies such as the Monroe Doctrine and the idea of Manifest Destiny. Kubrick’s Paths of Glory is an indictment of modern war and the commoditization of human lives. Dr. Strangelove demonstrates a uniquely American obsession with technology, proving innovation is not always progress. Finally, with Full Metal Jacket, Kubrick shows Vietnam has supplanted the West as America’s frontier, complete with gunplay between cowboys and native inhabitants. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: Film Studies.