Barrier islands,liminality,and the carnivalesque: Symbolic landscapes of New Jersey's coastal tourist attractions

Abstract

This article examines some of the cultural symbolism and narratives supporting the tourism activities along the New Jersey coastline. Existing in part as a series of coastal barrier islands in need of regular maintenance, the Jersey shore hosts entertainment activities on strips of sand just off the mainland, including boardwalk rides, foods, games, and a general atmosphere of the carnivalesque. This liminal zone between the water and the land offers a sense of tension and uncertainty from its location, as well as a local history of fires, floods, storms, and shipwrecks. Some area attractions with nautical themes resonate with the tension; others offer subversive dissonance against it, such as thrill rides and haunted houses. This juxtaposition of unstable landscape and amusement activities is not unique to the Jersey shore, as there is no causal or deterministic relationship between physical geography and cultural symbolism. Yet places do collect meanings over time, symbols and stories, forming a symbolic landscape overlaid on local geography. New Jersey claims credit for inventing the boardwalk, and its shore remains a point of state pride and identity, representing an exemplar of both coastal conquest of rough frontier terrain via civil engineering technology, and the American seaside vacation experience. The carnivalesque subverts the liminal tension and serves to create emotional attachment memory that helps drive visitor motivation across generations. In particular, the pace of continual change creates nostalgia for older attractions, and creates a sense of loss, which serves as a seldom-acknowledged driver of visitor activity.