Back to the garden: Therapeutic place metaphor in field of dreams

Abstract

Field of Dreams provides “cultural therapy” for individuals concerned about the ongoing transformation from the industrial age to the technological age. The therapy, the creation of a place metaphor similar to the Garden of Eden, illuminates the benefits of self‐sacrifice and producerism valued by American culture prior to the industrial age. By sacrificing for others, the film suggests, individuals can transcend time and find their home on earth. The implications of this therapy, culturally and theoretically, suggest that place metaphors are perhaps the best symbolic approach to coping with cultural transformations.