Write a paper in which you discuss one Superhero, or Supervillain and its cultural significance. The significance you will explore is not why the character is important but what it signifies about U.S. Society. What trends, values, philosophies and attitudes of contemporary U.S. culture does the character you chose reflect? How does she/he/it do that? I encourage you to think of characters that fulfill the function and characteristics of a Super-character rather than a traditional superhero. Also, remember that you may NOT write about Superman, Batman, or The Green Lantern. In your essay you need to use 4-5 sources. You may use two from our textbook; the rest need to be outside texts.
You can go about this paper in different ways. One good way is to think of the Super-characters you’ve seen and that struck you as interesting. Why were they interesting? Which one was the most interesting, and why? How does this aspect of the character relate, in your opinion, to U.S. culture? Does it reflect, for example, consumerism, individualism, religion? It may reflect other, equally interesting facets of U.S. culture. When you have some ideas about what the movie reflects, start researching those things; look up articles on consumerism in U.S. society, for example. Write down your ideas and what you find in your research so you can keep track of yours and others’ ideas. Formulate a working thesis to guide your writing and your research. As always, talk to others: your friends, peers, family, me.
