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Johnny Cash and the Paradox of American Identity

February 01, 2009
Book_ParadoxOfAmericanIdentity
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By Leigh H. Edwards

Throughout his career, Johnny Cash has been depicted – and has depicted himself – as a walking contradiction: social protestor and establishment patriot, drugged wildman and devout Christian crusader, rebel outlaw hillbilly thug and elder statesman. Leigh H. Edwards explores the allure of this paradoxical image and its cultural significance. She argues that Cash embodies irresolvable contradictions of American identity that reflect foundational issues in the American experience, such as the tensions between freedom and patriotism, individual rights and nationalism, the sacred and the profane.

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