{"id":{"repo_id":"unt","oai_identifier":"info:ark/67531/metadc3694"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/unt/info:ark/67531/metadc3694","repository":{"repo_id":"unt","name":"University of North Texas","base_url":"https://digital.library.unt.edu/oai/"},"display":{"title":"A Wonder Whose Origin is not Known: The Importance of the Orphan Hero in Otherworldly Film","abstract":"The purpose of this thesis is to explore the importance of the orphan hero in film and his resonance with the American people. It explores the orphan and the American identities, the archetypes found in myths, and the hero in American culture. The three heroes (Batman, Anakin Skywalker, and Harry Potter) represent certain aspects of orphan heroes: the capacity for sacrifice and the need to resist focusing on oneself. The type of hero each becomes has its source in the response he takes to his orphanhood. These young men suffered great loss early in their lives, but found the strength to sacrifice themselves for others, the ultimate sign of a hero.","abstract_html":"The purpose of this thesis is to explore the importance of the orphan hero in film and his resonance with the American people. It explores the orphan and the American identities, the archetypes found in myths, and the hero in American culture. The three heroes (Batman, Anakin Skywalker, and Harry Potter) represent certain aspects of orphan heroes: the capacity for sacrifice and the need to resist focusing on oneself. The type of hero each becomes has its source in the response he takes to his orphanhood. These young men suffered great loss early in their lives, but found the strength to sacrifice themselves for others, the ultimate sign of a hero.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Callahan, Sarah Francis"],"institution":"University of North Texas","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Levin, Ben","Hirsch, Joshua","McConnell, Judith","Larke-Walsh, George S., 1965-"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2007,"date_issued":"2007-05","date_published":"2007-05","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:34:52Z","subjects":["orphan","superhero","archetype","shadow","lass","sacrifice","hope","love","Heroes in motion pictures.","Orphans.","Batman (Fictitious character)","Vader, Darth (Fictitious character)","Potter, Harry (Fictitious character)","Motion pictures -- United States -- History and criticism."],"languages":["English"],"rights":["Public","Copyright","Callahan, Sarah Francis","Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oclc: 174143251","https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3694/","ark: ark:/67531/metadc3694"],"render_values":[{"text":"oclc: 174143251","href":null,"code":true},{"text":"https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3694/","href":"https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3694/","code":true},{"text":"ark: ark:/67531/metadc3694","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.12794/metadc3694","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Levin, Ben","Hirsch, Joshua","McConnell, Judith","Larke-Walsh, George S., 1965-"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Callahan, Sarah Francis"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2007-05"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of North Texas"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis or Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["orphan","superhero","archetype","shadow","lass","sacrifice","hope","love","Heroes in motion pictures.","Orphans.","Batman (Fictitious character)","Vader, Darth (Fictitious character)","Potter, Harry (Fictitious character)","Motion pictures -- United States -- History and criticism."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Public","Copyright","Callahan, Sarah Francis","Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. 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These young men suffered great loss early in their lives, but found the strength to sacrifice themselves for others, the ultimate sign of a hero."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["Text"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Wonder Whose Origin is not Known: The Importance of the Orphan Hero in Otherworldly Film"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Levin, Ben","Hirsch, Joshua","McConnell, Judith","Larke-Walsh, George S., 1965-"],"dc:creator":["Callahan, Sarah Francis"],"dc:date":["2007-05"],"dc:description":["The purpose of this thesis is to explore the importance of the orphan hero in film and his resonance with the American people. It explores the orphan and the American identities, the archetypes found in myths, and the hero in American culture. The three heroes (Batman, Anakin Skywalker, and Harry Potter) represent certain aspects of orphan heroes: the capacity for sacrifice and the need to resist focusing on oneself. The type of hero each becomes has its source in the response he takes to his orphanhood. These young men suffered great loss early in their lives, but found the strength to sacrifice themselves for others, the ultimate sign of a hero."],"dc:format":["Text"],"dc:identifier":["oclc: 174143251","doi: 10.12794/metadc3694","https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3694/","ark: ark:/67531/metadc3694"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["University of North Texas"],"dc:rights":["Public","Copyright","Callahan, Sarah Francis","Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved."],"dc:subject":["orphan","superhero","archetype","shadow","lass","sacrifice","hope","love","Heroes in motion pictures.","Orphans.","Batman (Fictitious character)","Vader, Darth (Fictitious character)","Potter, Harry (Fictitious character)","Motion pictures -- United States -- History and criticism."],"dc:title":["A Wonder Whose Origin is not Known: The Importance of the Orphan Hero in Otherworldly Film"],"dc:type":["Thesis or Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:34:52Z"}