Abstract
“The most universally recognizable symbol of American government” is the American flag (Hopkins, 1991, p. 817). The American flag is vital to our nation and to its citizens, particularly as the flag remains a major symbol during the country’s times of peace and war. This paper explores the connections between the American flag and the corporeal body. A historical review of the creation of the American flag ignites the discussion of how Americans use their physical bodies to offer meanings of the American flag. From the presented taxonomy of meanings, an interpretation of the effect of the flag on the body and the effect of the body on the flag is offered. The American flag gives meaning to the American body as a collective whole, whereas the American body’s utilization of the flag allows for individual interpretation and negotiation of the meanings assigned by the flag.
Recommended Citation
Marmo, Jennifer
(2010)
"The American flag and the body: How the flag and the body create an American meaning,"
Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research: Vol. 9, Article 4.
Available at:
https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/kaleidoscope/vol9/iss1/4