"Do N't Stop Believin'"in a Pair of Socks: How the Sopranos Shapes Our Understanding of Mental Illness

Author

Adam Richard Brockman, Illinois State UniversityFollow

Date of Award

4-7-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

School of Communication

First Advisor

Phillip J. Chidester

Abstract

This study rhetorically analyzed the final season of The Sopranos for its argument about

the nature of psychological depression in several contexts and forms. Consisting of nine

episodes, the final season of the series features pivotal moments in which characters confront the

sources of their depression and respond to them in a variety of ways. The study used both an

intertextual analysis and Burkean frames to provide insight into how the final season argues one

might overcome various forms of depression. It specifically considered depression related to

one’s family experiences, their existential concerns regarding death and spirituality, and their

indulgence in contemporary media platforms. The study’s general implications and applications

to future research are also discussed..

Comments

Imported from ProQuest Brockman_ilstu_0092N_11696.pdf

Recommended Citation

Brockman, Adam Richard, ""Do N't Stop Believin'"in a Pair of Socks: How the Sopranos Shapes Our Understanding of Mental Illness" (2020). Theses and Dissertations. 1247.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/1247

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2020.Brockman.A

Page Count

118