Man of Steel: The Dichotomy of Superman’s Character

1327 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Compare and contrast superman and batman

In the film Man of Steel, director Zack Snyder produces an alternative interpretation of the famous superman film, as this version more heavily focuses on the early stages of Superman and his journey on Earth at a young age. Original or traditional settings of him in films are typically set during his reporter employment in the later years in Metropolis. Man of Steel retells the superman myth from the very beginning giving compressed exposition about Krypton, along with the expected outcome of baby Superman (a.k.a. Clark Kent or Kal-El) been sent to earth, with him acquiring his super powers throughout his younger years (Grossman 50). His development of powers included the abilities of flight, strength, heat vision, speed, and even durability. Despite Superman having all these various types of physical abilities, it will be the dichotomy of his character between being the superman hero and the mild-mannered everyday man that will make him exceedingly amazing and admirable to the public, as compared to the average hero. The personal qualities of him being self-controlling, highly moral and responsible will be the qualities that give the audience a sense of his marvelous character.
Firstly, through Clark Kent’s development of his self-controlling quality, he is able to balance the utilization of his super powers with his human identity and emotions. As Clark Kent is growing up, he consistently struggles with his emerging powers in his younger years, as many of his fellow peers would pick on him as they saw him as an outsider that did not belong. Eventually he obtained the ability to have self control over his powers despite his angered emotions, in which resulted in him developing a stronger mindset. The div...

... middle of paper ...

...181.23 (2013): 50. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

Kozlovic, Anton Karl. "Superman as Christ-figure: The American pop culture movie Messiah." Journal of Religion and Film 6.1 (2002): 1-25.

Loeb, Jeph, and Tom Morris. "Heroes and superheroes." Superheroes and philosophy: Truth, justice, and the Socratic way (2005): 11-20.

Man of Steel. Dir. Zack Snyder. Perf. Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon. Warner Bros., 2013. Film.

Mitchell, Jane P., and Joseph D. George. "What Do Superman, Captain America, And Spiderman Have In Common? The Case For Comic Books." Gifted Education International 11.2 (1996): 91-94. ERIC. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

Redden, Joseph P., and Kelly L. Haws. "Healthy Satiation: The Role Of Decreasing Desire In Effective Self-Control." Journal Of Consumer Research 39.5 (2013): 1100-1114. Business Source Complete. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

Show More
Related

  • Drawing on the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and the Character Development of Joseph and Mary in the Nativity Story

    1544 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nefe, David. “Stepping Out of the Wings.” Christianity Today Vol.50 No. 12 (2006): 32-33. Atla Religion Database. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

  • How Is Batman An Epic Hero

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    Batman and Superman are superheroes whose qualities are exaggerated in a way that is reminiscent of the gods and heroes in The Odyssey. In Fact, the superheroes from comic books emerge from the epic tradition. Epics, as you know, celebrate the great deeds of one or more legendary heroes. This epic hero is generally involved with a quest to overcome hardship, and he (and it usually is a "he") succeeds. The hero performs superhuman exploits in battle, often saving or founding a nation or the human race itself. Sound familiar? And even in terms of the superhero's body, with his bulging muscles and larger‐than‐life qualities, such figures evoke the images of Baroque masculinity. What Becomes important in these retellings, then, is how the hero makes the journey, how he faces his obstacles, and what he learns in the process.

    Read More

  • The Golden Age Of Superheroes: Universal Themes And Challenges

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    We are currently living in the Golden Age of Superheroes. They dominate our cultural life, and have become seemingly permanent fixtures in modern media. Since X-Men burst onto the screen fifteen years ago, we have witnessed the release of over forty superhero movies. By 2020 we will have seen the release of more than twenty-five more. Today, the much anticipated film Superman vs. Batman has come to theaters. Though a plethora of superhero movies have been released, it is to the dissatisfaction of many, having long been exhausted by the stories of the Hulk, Batman, and Spider-man. Although I must agree that it is quite easy to get bored with the constant action, and flashing colors of these films, if one looks deep enough into the story they will discover universal themes and metaphors. Though they may be fighting off alien invasions, these heroes are also battling with their personal challenges, challenges which we can

    Read More

  • Superman 1 Misogynist

    599 Words  | 2 Pages

    With regards to Superman himself, in his interview with Lois, Superman’s voice can be heard more clearly and is louder than Lois’s voice. This places him in a position of power and authority over Lois. Superman is often flying or hovering when he is seen by Lois Lane and Miss Teschmacher thus the camera is forced to be at a low angle to him. This, once again, places Superman in a position of power. This can also be seen in “Man of Steel”.

    Read More

  • Superman And Me Analysis

    975 Words  | 2 Pages

    The pressures of society and many factors against us can at times seem impossible to overcome, however, these limitations are only the ones we place on ourselves. Whether it’s during the adolescent years as Sherman Alexie explained in “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me”, about the struggles of overcoming the stigma bound by his culture where “A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike”, as well as having the courage to break free for his own benefit. In addition, this theme was also explored in the later years of adulthood as demonstrated in Malcolm X’s essay, “Learning to Read” where he’d become so frustrated while kept in prison, unable to quite express himself as he did

    Read More

  • Understanding the Heroic Spectrum

    1781 Words  | 4 Pages

    Millar, Mark [w], Johnson, Dave and Plunkett, Kilian [p]. Superman: Red Son. California: DC Comics. 2003. Print

    Read More

  • Superman Vs. Lex Luthor Case Study

    1074 Words  | 3 Pages

    On one end of the spectrum lays Superman, an alien who from birth is comparable to god, and on the opposite side lays Lex Luthor, a genius human who comes from nothing and created a financial empire. Superman

    Read More

  • Superman - All American

    1715 Words  | 4 Pages

    The core of American myth is Superman consists of a few basic facts that remain unchanged throughout the infinitely varied ways in which the myth is told – facts with which everyone is familiar, however marginal their knowledge of the story. Superman is an orphan rocketed to Earth when his native planet Krypton explodes; he lands near Smallville and is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who inculcate in him their American middle-class ethic; as an adult he migrates to Metropolis there he defends America – no, the world! no, the universe – from all evil and harm while playing a romantic game in which, as Clark Kent, he hopelessly pursues Superman, who remains aloof until such time as Lois proves worthy of him by falling in live with his feigned identity as a weakling. That’s it. (Engle, 678).

    Read More

  • The Amoral Battle Of Batman

    998 Words  | 2 Pages

    And that's why he'd let Batman get a hold of some kryptonite, and why Superman won't dodge it as it's plunged into his chest.

    Read More

  • Alan Moore's The Watchmen

    1623 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hughes, Jamie A. "Who Watches the Watchmen?: Ideology and 'Real World' Superheroes." Journal of Popular Culture39.4 (2006): 546-557. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 25 Feb. 2010

    Read More

  • The Thematic Paradigm by Robert Ray

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    Society favors the outlaw hero because we relate with that character more. We see ourselves more so in the outlaw hero than in the official hero. The outlaw hero has the child like talents that most of us wish we had as adults. To civilians it may seem that the outlaw hero lives more of a fantasy life that we all wish to have. Superman’s image has remained unchanged over the years. A blue suit accompanied by boots, a belt and cape have always been the Superman style, along with the Superman emblem on his chest. Superman’s real name is Kal-El, a descendant of the Kryptonian family of the house of El, with his father known as Jor-El and mother Lara. Krypton was discovered to be in the last seconds of life due to the coming supernova of its sun by Kal-El’s father. The other members of Krypton did not believe Jor-El could not tell others of his answers and examinations. Jor-El promised that neither he nor his wife would leave and with every last possible choice eliminated, Jor-El would send his newborn son to the planet Earth. Kal-El then crash landed into the care of Jonathan and Martha Kent, two farmers in Kansas. He then adopted the Kent family name,...

    Read More

  • How Heroes Have Changed

    1291 Words  | 3 Pages

    Norman, Vera. "Four Conceptions of the Heroic." Fellowship of Reason. N.p., 2005. Web. 29 May 2014.

    Read More

  • Heroism in Watchmen

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    To conclude, the graphic novel Watchmen presents the non-fantastic representation of a superhero, implying that not all heroes are like Superman. This notion is explored within the novel by mentioning the realistic motives of the characters choosing to become superheroes, by Rorschach’s representation and through the heroic reactions of the New Yorkers to a street crime. These elements all contribute to Watchmen’s uniqueness and complexity as a superhero comic.

    Read More

  • Legitimacy and Illegitimacy

    1482 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lee, Chris. A. Branagh Meets Comic-Book Hero. Newsweek 157.19 (2011): 59-60. EBSCO. Web. The Web.

    Read More

  • Nietzsches Superman

    1055 Words  | 3 Pages

    Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) developed his idea of the superman after many years of studying and teaching philosophy. It was a culmination of many ideals that Nietzsche felt were the ideals a person should follow to lead a perfect life. The superman is essentially his own society, determining his own values, finding his own happiness, and finding joy in being the one to control all of this himself. He doesn’t believe in a God or a soul or an afterlife, and therefore makes the most out of his life since he has no one else’s morals to follow. One interesting aspect of Nietzsche’s superman is his lack of compassion for the weak. Nietzsche believed that any pity felt for the less-abled only hindered the growth of the superman. This is very much like survival of the fittest that has allowed animals to evolve into better and better creatures. Though it seems uncaring and thoughtless, in some sense the idea makes sense because the superman is a type of evolution of man. Without the need to support the weak, the superman can rise above the common man and evolve into a greater being. These ideas are strictly philosophical and were most likely not meant to be used in the real world.

    Read More

More about Man of Steel: The Dichotomy of Superman’s Character

Open Document