Death in Supernatural
Project Overview:
The television show Supernatural has developed a devoted following of fans and scholars alike. The show has tackled big issues, including one of the biggest issues all humans face—death. This collection of new essays takes a deeper look at the ways death is personified, presented and represented within the series.
From Supernatural’s Americanist lens to how the show helps us understand our own grief, essays explore the show’s ability to tell us something greater about life’s ultimate mystery.
Table of Contents:
Foreword JULIAN RICHINGS (AKA DEATH)
“Oh, Hello, Death!” An Introduction
SUSAN NYLANDER and AMANDA TAYLOR
American Traditions and Attitudes:
"Death, American Style: Americana and a Cultural History of Death"
SUSAN NYLANDER
"Got Salt? Human Remains and Haunting in Supernatural"
REBECCA STONE GORDON
"A Familiar Soundscape: Existentialism, Winchester Exceptionalism and the Evolution of Death in Supernatural"
SARAH ELAINE NEILL
Folklore and Mythology:
"Blood, Death and “Demonic Germ Warfare”: Family and the Legend of Roanoke in Supernatural"
REBECCA M. LUSH
"Wheelin’ and Dealin’: Crossroads Mythology, Deal- Making and Death in Supernatural"
RACHEAL HARRIS
Resurrection:
"Death, Resurrection and the Monstrous Evolution of the Winchesters"
JESSICA GEORGE
"'When I come back, I’m gonna be pissed': Signaling Narrative and Character Shifts Through Death in Supernatural"
ERIN M. GIANNINI
When Women Die:
“'The (Dead) Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo': Supernatural and the Disposable Other"
ANASTASIA SALTER
“'I prefer ladies with more experience': Virgins, Whores and Post- Feminine Death in Supernatural"
FREDDIE HARRIS RAMSBY
Grief and Grieving:
"Dean’s Groundhog Day: Negotiating the Inevitability of Death via Supernatural"
MICHAIL-CHRYSOVALANTIS MARKODIMITRAKIS
“'In My Time of Dying': Lessons on Grief in Supernatural"
AMANDA TAYLOR
“That’s It? A Kansas Song?” A Conclusion (?)
AMANDA TAYLOR and SUSAN NYLANDER
Afterword
LYNN S. ZUBERNIS
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