Over the Rainbow: The Wizard of Oz as a Secular Myth of America (Suny Series, McGill Studies in the History of Religions, a S) - Hardcover

Nathanson, Paul

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0791407098 ISBN 13: 9780791407097

Publisher: State University of New York Press, 1992

Synopsis

Over the Rainbow shows how Dorothy's passage from Kansas to Oz and back again recapitulates paradigmatic stories of both America and Christianity. Defining human identity on three symbolic levels (individual, collective, and cosmic), Nathanson shows that The Wizard of Oz has come to be a "secular myth."

About this title

About the Author

Paul Nathanson is a researcher in the field of Religious Studies at the McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics, and Law. He is working with Katherine K. Young on the forthcoming book The Future of Nature: Reproductive Technologies and the Symbolic Frontier.

Review

“It is a most fascinating text reflecting an interest in the psychological, historical, sociological, and analytical approaches to film and religious studies. It presents a refreshing and in-depth study of this landmark film with extensive scholarship. Nathanson includes myriad bits of information that lie behind the scenes of the production itself and its historical context.” ― John J. Michalczyk, Boston College

“The strength of this book is the thoroughness and imaginativeness with which the author approaches and covers the subject ― and every area is treated with an innovative approach. I know it will be something of a landmark in film-culture studies.” ― Ray B. Browne, Department of Popular Culture, Bowling Green State University

Edition details

• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0791407098
• ISBN 13: 9780791407097
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 432