eJournal Questions
Please answer the questions below.
To: pagnucci@iup.edu
From: your email address
Cc: your email address (always keep a copy of all your course emails!)
Subject: 481 Comics eJournal: Super Psychology
Body of the Message:
(Copy the questions below into your email message. Type your answers after each question. Then send your completed eJournal to Dr. Pagnucci. Write answers that are as complete as possible. Note also that grammar and spelling will not be counted for eJournals, so just do your best.)
Your Full Name (include your full name at the top of EVERY EMAIL so I can give you credit for your work)
- Do you think superhero stories are empowering or disempowering for readers? Explain your answer.
- Classic heroes usually faced death at some point. Both Achilies and Hector die in the Trojan War. The Norse Gods die in Ragnarok. Robin Hood eventually is killed. Yet Batman and Spider-man live on, seemingly immortal. Why are superheroes timeless? What are the literary and artistic implications of making superheroes this way? What is gained and lost when readers know that their superheroes can never die and will, in effect, outlive them.
- The author argues that even someone like Hitler saw himself as good. If this is true, can there be such a thing as evil? Given your answer, are supervillains evil? Aside from their powers, are there any significant differences between supervillains and real world villains? Explain your thinking.
- On p. 29, Danny Fingeroth, the author of Superman on the Couchdiscusses a concept he calls “superhero comic consciousness.” What is he talking about? How does this form of consciousness effect us as readers of comic books? How does this form of consciousness effect the rest of our lives? As usual, explain your answers.
- Superhero films have consistently been among the most successful box office films of all time, from Superman to Batman to Spider-Man. Superhero comics have also sold in the millions. Why are stories of exaggerated heroes so popular? What is their attraction? What does this tell you about the culture/society in which we live?
- In the Timemagazine cover story devoted to Superman’s 50th birthday, the author notes that Superman is one of five fictional characters known throughout the world. The other characters are Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes, Mickey Mouse, and Robin Hood. Three of the five are American creations and four of the five have exceptional abilities (we’ll ignore the talking Mouse). Why would a superhero like Superman be so popular world wide? What might this tell you about the world?
- In chapter three Fingeroth discusses the importance of orphans to the superhero mythos. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Rogue, and Storm are all orphans. The author then links this orphan issue to films like The Matrixwhich ask this question: “Is it better to be alone or to be part of an enslaved community?” How would you answer this question from the Matrix? How would these major superheroes be different if they were not orphans? What role does the concept of “the orphan” play in our larger understanding of literature? What role does the concept of “the orphan” play in how we think about our society?
- Ultimately, Fingeroth’s book raises this question: What are the psychological implications of our interest in superheroes? Are superheroes an interesting diversion or are they linked to deeper issues which make up our psyches? One more time, explain your answers.