This new textbook is an abridgment of the author's earlier
Woody Allen's Angst: Philosophical Commentaries on His Serious Films
(McFarland, 1997; "invaluable"--
Choice
.)
Five main topics are explored: the desire of many of his characters to ground their lives in traditional ethical values despite their realization that such values may no longer be certain; the opposition between pessimism and optimism throughout his films; gender issues relating to romantic love, sexual desire and the ongoing changes in our cultural expectations of both men and women; the idea that contemporary American society is rapidly descending into barbarism precisely because of societal failure to maintain a sense of individual moral responsibility; and a critique of psychoanalysis as a method for understanding human behavior.
Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.