“Arrrr! To hell with convention!” Unpacking the Appeal of Pirates in Tampa’s Gasparilla Festival
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of English and Writing, The University of Tampa
Abstract
Historically, pirates of the 17th and 18th century had a reputation
for being ruthless plunderers and scheming villains. However, despite their
barbarous history, pirates are often romanticized in current popular culture
in films, books, and in Tampa’s Gasparilla festival. This romanticization of
piracy allows society to forget the more accurate, brutal deeds of historical
pirates in favor of a more light-hearted perception of them in popular culture,
such as through the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. By examining
the representation of pirates in film and in Gasparilla in relation to their
historical counterparts, this essay explores how the idealized pirate has come
to represent freedom and independence. Additionally, this essay argues that
though the romanticization of pirates in film and festival provides a means of
collective release from societal pressure, the historical reality of piracy should
not be forgotten.
Description
Recommended Citation: Davis, Krista. “‘Arrrr! To Hell with Convention!’ Unpacking the Appeal of Pirates in Tampa’s Gasparilla Festival.” Royal Road, 2020. https://doi.org/10.48497/M9SC-3P78.
item.page.type
Article
item.page.format
Keywords
Gasparilla festival, Pirates, Tampa Bay (Fla.), Carnivalesque
Citation
Davis, Krista. “‘Arrrr! To Hell with Convention!’ Unpacking the Appeal of Pirates in Tampa’s Gasparilla Festival.” Royal Road, 2020. https://doi.org/10.48497/M9SC-3P78.