Claremont Graduate University
Of Minutemen and Boomers: Fallout and Doing History in Imagined Space
Abstract
dc:description.abstract<p>On October 23, 2077, the world as known to the average American ends abruptly with the onset of the Great War, transforming the United States into a nuclear wasteland and setting the stage for the Fallout series of role-playing video games by Interplay Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks. Set in a post-apocalyptic future yet steeped in 1950s American ideals, Fallout merges historical fiction with sci-fi fantasy, exploring themes of American exceptionalism, hyper-Capitalism, anti-communism, nuclear anxiety, and militarism through exaggerated symbols of Americana. This thesis posits that Fallout serves as a critique of Cold War America's paradoxical utopianism and paranoia, highlighting the destructive consequences of unchecked militarism and technological pursuits. By treating Fallout as a kind of museum, this thesis explores how the game's layered storytelling methods, akin to museum exhibits, critique Americentric sensibilities and the ideological underpinnings of the Atomic Age. Through detailed case studies of in-game museums and exhibitions, this paper examines how Fallout developers employ historical and cultural elements to offer a satirical reflection on mid-20th century America, questioning the uncritical acceptance of progress and the myths of American exceptionalism.</p>
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- History, MA
- Level thesis:degree_level
- Open Access Master's Thesis
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- School of Arts and Humanities
- Year dc:date.available
- 2024
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Schuling, Marissa Paige
- Contributors dc:contributor
-
- JoAnna Poblete
Subjects
dc:subject × 7Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Repository record dc:identifier
- https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/924
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:scholarship.claremont.edu:cgu_etd-1944