Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
2-11-2026
Department 1
First Year Seminar
Department 2
English
Abstract
This poster explores how George Lucas’s American Graffiti (1973) and Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused (1993) utilize popular music as a narrative tool to define the evolution of American youth culture. By examining the shift from the unified, diegetic radio culture of 1962 to the fragmented, ironic rock pastiche of 1976, the research highlights how Lucas creates a "communal identity" rooted in sincerity while Linklater captures the "disillusionment" of a generation adrift. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that these soundtracks are not mere background elements but serve as vital cultural archives that mediate between history and cinematic memory, shaping the way individual and collective identities are constructed on film.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Tone, Jacob, "Music as Memory and Narrative in American Graffiti and Dazed and Confused" (2026). CAFE Symposium 2026. 13.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/cafe2026/13
Comments
This poster was created based on work for FYS-W142 : Rock Films and American Culture and presented as a part of the eleventh annual CAFE Symposium on February 11, 2026.