The Oregon Trail Analysis

Analysis of The Oregon Trail

When The Oregon Trail was first introduced to elementary schools, most people didn't fully understand the effect it would have on their students. The Oregon Trail is a computer game that was designed to showcase students what it would have been like for pioneers in the 19th century. Students were to take on a role of a character that was embarking on this epic journey, that was known as The Oregon Trail, hence the titular namesake of the game. However, when the creators set out to establish this game, it is unclear if they were aware of the impact it would have in the history of American folklore.

The Oregon Trail has been around since 1971, most people would argue that it perhaps isn't folklore at all. In this

Just recently, I saw a young adult in the grocery store wearing a shirt that simply stated, "You Have Died Of Dysentery." This is clearly referencing The Oregon Trail which only percolates the depth of its status as customary folklore. This message became a massively popular thing to say in the 90s. The fact that it has been decades and people are still referencing The Oregon Trail to this day, firmly fits its folklorist appeal. My brother just recently relayed to me that the creators of the infamous game have released the original onto an app, that has become downloadable for the iPhone. I think it is rather nostalgic that they kept the game style of the game in it's original context, just only updated it to format a smaller technological device. Brunvand acknowledges,

It should be remembered however, that such "game models" are only analytic devices drawn up in hopes of understanding the much more complex nature of traditional play itself. They serve as analogies or schematic representations of patterns of social interaction that constitute a clear basis for comparisons and further analysis. Also, such analyses ultimately derive from the same basic fieldwork and reference work in folklore as did earlier studies