Abstract
Broadway hit musical, Dear Evan Hansen, has revolutionized the culture of theater, as the show discusses many issues facing society such as loneliness and anxiety as caused by the increasing use of social media. This musical creates a space to talk about important issues that often go unsung. In the song, “Waving Through a Window”, the main character Evan details many of his anxieties and worries, as he desires to fit in at school and navigate the world around him. This paper argues that the writers of Dear Evan Hansen effectively argue that today’s society is one in which teenagers are vulnerable, anxious, isolated, and lonely, which can be partially attributed to social media; this can be supported by examining “Waving Through a Window” through the lenses of the dramatist and postmodern theories, exploring the individual experiences and the realities shaped through rhetoric.
Recommended Citation
Quick, Katherine
(2019)
"Rhetorical Theory in the Age of Social Media in Dear Evan Hansen,"
Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research: Vol. 7, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/pjcr/vol7/iss1/1
