Great Expectations: The Role of Myth in 1980s Films with Child Heroes
This study performed a mythic analysis on three films with child heroes including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Stand by Me, and The Goonies. Several unifying themes were extracted and then compared with the dominant values of Reagan America to determine if these films provided a unique cultural o...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Others |
| Published: |
Virginia Tech
2014
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32929 http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05172011-113805/ |
| Summary: | This study performed a mythic analysis on three films with child heroes including
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Stand by Me, and The Goonies. Several unifying themes
were extracted and then compared with the dominant values of Reagan America to
determine if these films provided a unique cultural outlook. While most of the uncovered
themes have been recognized in other films of the era, the theme of childhood as a
community in peril is unique. It is purported these films pass judgment on Reagan as a
dubious national patriarch, and that it is possible that this is a function that many myths
with child heroes fulfill. === Master of Arts |
|---|