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Mythic History and National Memory: The Pearl Harbor Anniversary

The concept of 'mythic history' points to the role of public history as moral narrative, a form of identity discourse that works to create social and emotional meaning. The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II represents one such mythicized moment in American national history. This paper examines the interplay of various narrative practices used to mark the 50th anniversary of that event, including media representations and official ceremonial events. Analysis of the discursive properties of Pearl Harbor narratives suggests that mythic histories tend to sharpen the contours of national time and space, representing the past in terms of episodic junctures and representing national selves and others in terms of polarized agencies.