With each generation arrives at a new understanding and specifically creates a new representation of the ancient pharaoh Tutankhamun. My study analyzes the role of Tutankhamun in American media and popular culture, especially the changing depictions of the Pharaoh over time. My thesis discusses the historical Tutankhamμn and the how this differs from the "Golden Boy" Tut popularized in modem times since the discovering of the tomb by Howard Carter. His discovery launched an Egyptomania craze periodically resurged over the course of the century~ particularly in the years immediately following the find, 1978t and in 2005-2007. My analysis further explores why American society fashioned particular representations of Tutankbamun, and Egypt as a whole from his tomb that contained insufficient connections with the historical King Tutanlqiamun. The study concentrates on three time periods distinct by heightened fascination - the opening of the tomb and the first and second museum touring of the Tut exhibits in the United States. The created images are exploited for monetary gain by the media while driven by Western society as a measure of our own cultural self--definition. Each modification of the Pharaoh reflects the changing culture of American society.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:honorstheses1990-2015-1768 |
| Date | 01 January 2008 |
| Creators | Doerr, Sarah A. |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | HIM 1990-2015 |
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