Seemingly the most fantastical of television series, ""Buffy the Vampire Slayer"" proves on close examination to be firmly rooted in real-world concerns. In this collection of critical essays, fifteen authors from several disciplines, including literature, the visual arts, theatre, philosophy, and political science, study ways in which Buffy reflects, illuminates, and clarifies its audience's real-life experiences.The topics include the series' complicated portrayals of the relationship between soul, morality, and identity; whether Buffy can truly be described as a feminist icon; the ways in which Buffy attempted, somewhat unsuccessfully, to undermine stereotypes of Native Americans in Western culture with the season four episode ""Pangs""; the role of signs in the interaction between Buffy's aesthetics and audience; and the problem of power and underhanded politics in the Buffy universe, where characters frequently manipulate others for self-serving reasons or give in altogether to the dark pleasures of raw power.

About the Author
Emily Dial-Driver is a professor of English at Rogers State University and fiction editor of RSU's Cooweescoowee: A Journal of Arts and Letters. Sally Emmons-Featherston is an associate professor of English at Rogers State University and the managing editor of RSU's Cooweescoowee: A Journal of Arts and Letters. Jim Ford is an associate professor of philosophy and the director of the honors program at Rogers State University. Carolyn Anne Taylor is an associate professor of political science at Rogers State University and previously served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.


Book Information
ISBN 9780786437993
Author Emily Dial-Driver
Format Paperback
Page Count 248
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc