what makes superman so darn american?

8/9/2019 What Makes Superman So Darn American?

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GARY ENGLE 1988

What Makes Superman So Darned American?

When !as "oun# spent a $ot o% time ar#uin# !ith m"se$% a&out !ho !ou$d

!in in a %i#ht &et!een 'ohn Wa"ne and Superman( )n da"s !hen !ore m" co!&o"

hat and cap #uns* kne! the Duke !ou$d !in &ecause o% his pronounced

superiorit" in the a$$+important matter o% s!a##er( ,here !ere da"s* thou#h*

!hen a %ra"ed arm" &$anket tied cape+%ashion around m" neck si#na$ed a "oun#

man-s need to &e$ie.e there cou$d &e no end to the potenc" o% his &ein#(

,hen the Man o% Stee$ !as the odds+on %a.orite to knock the Duke %or a cosmic

$oop( M" #reatest chi$dhood pro&$em !as that the /uestion cou$d ne.er &e

reso$.ed &ecause no such &att$e cou$d e.er take p$ace( mean* ho! !ou$d a

%i#ht start &et!een the on$" t!o Americans !ho ne.er started an"thin#* !ho

a$!a"s %ou#ht on$" to de%end their ri#hts and the American !a"?

No! that -m o$der and a&$e to $ook !ith reason on the m"steries o%

chi$dhood* -.e %ina$$" reso$.ed the di$emma( 'ohn Wa"ne !as the &est o$der

&rother an" kid cou$d e.er hope to ha.e* &ut he !as no Superman(

Superman is the #reat American hero( We are a nation rich !ith $e#endar"

%i#ures( 0ut amon# the Da." rocketts and 2au$ 0un"ans and Mike 3inks and2ecos 0i$$s and a$$ the rest !ho speak %or .arious re#iona$ identities in the

pantheon o% American %o$k$ore* on$" Superman achie.es tru$" m"thic stature*

inter!ea.in# a pattern o% &e$ie%s* $iterar" con.entions* and cu$tura$

traditions o% the American peop$e more po!er%u$$" and more accessi&$e than an"

other cu$tura$ s"m&o$ o% the t!entieth centur"* perhaps o% an" period in our

histor"(

,he core o% the American m"th in Superman consists o% a %e! &asic %acts

that remain unchan#ed throu#hout the in%inite$" .aried !a"s in !hich the m"th

is to$d++%acts !ith !hich e.er"one is %ami$iar* ho!e.er mar#ina$ their

kno!$ed#e o% the stor"( Superman is an orphan rocketed to Earth !hen his

nati.e p$anet 4r"pton e5p$odes6 he $ands near Sma$$.i$$e and is adopted &"

'onathan and Martha 4ent* !ho incu$cate in him their American midd$e+c$ass

ethic6 as an adu$t he mi#rates to Metropo$is !here he de%ends America++no* the

!or$d7 no* the ni.erse7++%rom a$$ e.i$ and harm !hi$e p$a"in# a romantic #ame

in !hich* as $ark 4ent* he hope$ess$" pursues Lois Lane* !ho hope$ess$"

pursues Superman* !ho remains a$oo% unti$ such time as Lois pro.es !orth" o%

him &" %a$$in# in $o.e !ith his %ei#ned identit" as a !eak$in#( ,hat-s it(

E.er" narrati.e thread in the m"tho$o#"* each one o% the thousands o% p$ots in

the %i%t" "ear stream o% comics and %i$ms and , sho!s* a$$ the ta$es

in.o$.in# the demi#ods o% the Superman pantheon++Super&o"* Super#ir$* e.en

4r"pto the superdo#:e.er" sin#$e one rein%orces &" ne.er contradictin# this

&asic set o% %acts( ,hat-s the m"th* and that-s !here one $ooks to understand

America(

It is impossible to imagine Superman being as popular as he is and speaking

as deeply to the American character were he not an immigrant and an orphan.

Immigration, of course, is the overwhelming fact in American history. Except

for the Indians, all Americans have an immediate sense of their originselsewhere. No nation on Earth has so deeply embedded in its social

consciousness the imagery of passage from one social identity to another the

!ayflower of the New England separatists, the slave ships from Africa and the

subse"uent underground railroads toward freedom in the North, the sailing

ships and steamers running shuttles across two oceans in the nineteenth

century, the freedom airlifts in the twentieth. Somehow the picture #ust isn$t

complete without Superman$s rocket ship.

%ike the peoples of the nation whose values he defends, Superman is an

alien, but not #ust any alien. &e$s the consummate and totally uncompromised


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orphan a potent s"m&o$ o% the American character( )rphans aren-t mere$" %ree

to rein.ent themse$.es( ,he" are o&$i#ed to do so(

When Superman rein.ents himse$%* he &ecomes the &um&$in# $ark 4ent* a

%i#ure as immo&i$e as Superman is mo&i$e* as !eak as his a$ter e#o is stron#(

).er the "ears commentators ha.e &een %ond o% stressin# ho! $ark 4ent

pro.ides an i$$usor" ima#e o% !impiness onto !hich chi$dren can pro=ect their

insecurities a&out their o!n potentia$ >and* hope%u$$"* e/ua$$" i$$usor"

!eaknesses( 0ut think the ro$e o% $ark 4ent is %ar more comp$e5 than that(

Durin# m" chi$dhood* 4ent contri&uted nothin# to m" $o.e %or the Man o%

Stee$( % $e%t to contemp$ate him %or too $on#* %ound m"se$% chan#in# %rom

cape &ack into co!&o" hat and #uns( 'ohn Wa"ne* at $east* !as no siss" that

cou$d e.er see( )% course* in a$$ the Westerns that the Duke came to stand %or

in m" mind* there !ere e$ements that $e%t me as con%used as the parado5

&et!een 4ent and Superman( 3or e5amp$e* cou$d ne.er seem to %i#ure out !h"

co!&o"s so o%ten %e$$ in $o.e !hen there !ere o&.ious$" &etter options@ horses

to ride* #uns to shoot* out$a!s to chase* and sa.a#es to ki$$( E.en on the

da"s !hen &ecame 'ohn Wa"ne* cou$d %a$$ .ictim to a ne.er+articu$ated

an5iet" a&out the potentia$ %or poor =ud#ment in m" co!&o" heroes( ,hen*

#enera$$" dri%ted &ack into a !orship o% Superman( With him* at $east* the

m"sterious communion o% opposites !as honest and on the sur%ace o% thin#s(

What distur&ed me as a chi$d is !hat no! think makes the m"th o% Supermanso appea$in# to an immi#rant sensi&i$it"( ,he shape+shi%tin# &et!een $ark

4ent and Superman is the means &" !hich this mid+t!entieth+centur"* ur&an

stor"++$ike the pastora$* nineteenth+centur" Western &e%ore it++addresses in

dramatic terms the theme o% cu$tura$ assimi$ation(

At its most &asic $e.e$* the Western !as an ima#inati.e record o% the

American e5perience o% !est!ard mi#ration and sett$ement( 0" &rin#in# the

%orces o% ci.i$iation and sa.a#er" to#ether on a m"thica$ %rontier* the

Western addressed the pro&$em o% con%$ict &et!een apparent$" mutua$$"

e5c$usi.e identities and e5p$ored options %or ne#otiatin# &et!een them( n

terms that a &o" cou$d comprehend* the m"th e5p$ored the di$emma o%

assimi$ation++marr" the schoo$ marm and start !earin# Eastern c$othes or

sadd$e up and dri%t %urther !est!ard !ith the &o"s(

,he Western !as ne.er a m"th o% stark mora$ simp$icit"( 2ioneers %$ed

ci.i$iation &" mi#ratin# !est* &ut their purpose in the !i$derness !as to

re&ui$d ci.i$iation( So ci.i$iation !as &oth #ood and &ad* !hat Americans

%$ed %rom and =ourne"ed to!ard( A simi$ar mora$ am&i#uit" rested at the heart

o% the !i$derness( t !as an Eden in !hich innocence cou$d &e achie.ed throu#h

spiritua$ re&irth* &ut it !as a$so the anarchic %orce that most direct$"

threatened the ci.i$ied .a$ues America !anted to impose on the %rontier( So

the di$emma arose@

n ne#otiatin# &et!een ci.i$iation and the !i$derness* &et!een the o$d

order and the ne!* &et!een the identit" the pioneers carried !ith them %rom

!here.er the" came and the identit" the" sou#ht to in.ent* Americans %aced an

impossi&$e choice( Either the" pushed into the Ne! Wor$d !i$derness and

%orsook the idea$s that moti.ated them or the" c$un# to their ori#ins and

po$$uted Eden(

,he m"th o% the Western responded to this di$emma &" in.entin# the idea o%the %rontier in !hich ci.i$ied idea$s em&odied in the institutions o% %ami$"*

church* $a!* and education are re.ita$ied &" the .irtues o% sa.a#er"@

independence* se$%+re$iance* persona$ honor* s"mpath" !ith nature* and ethica$

uses o% .io$ence( n e%%ect* the m"thica$ %rontier represented an attempt to

em&od" the per%ect de#ree o% assimi$ation in !hich &oth the o$d and ne!

identities came to#ether* i% not in a sin#$e se$%+ima#e* then at $east in

idea$ied re$ationships* $ike the s"m&o$ic marria#e o% re%ormed co!&o" and

disp$aced schoo$ marm that ended )!en Wister-s protot"pica$ ir#inian* or the

m"stica$ mascu$ine &ondin# &et!een representati.es


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o% an ascendant and a .anishin# America++Natt" 0umppo and hin#ach#ook* the

Lone Ran#er and ,onto( )n the Western %rontier* &oth the o$d and ne!

identities e/ua$$" mattered(

As po!er%u$ a m"th as the Western !as* ho!e.er* there !ere certain $imits

to its a&i$it" to speak direct$" to an increasin#$" common t!entieth centur"

immi#rant sensi&i$it"( 3irst* it !as pastora$( ts ima#er" o% dust" %rontier

to!ns and &reathtakin# mountainous deso$ation spoke most a%%ectin#$" to those

!ho concei.ed o% the American dream in terms o% the nineteenth+centur"

immi#rant e5perience o% rura$ sett$ement( As the t!entieth centur" !ore on*

more immi#rants !ere* $ike Superman* mo.in# %rom rura$ or sma$$+to!n

&ack#rounds to metropo$itan en.ironments( Moreo.er* the Western !as

historica$* o%ten e$e#iaca$$" so( nder$"in# the air o% ce$e&ration in e.en

the most epic and romantic o% Westerns++the %i$ms o% 'ohn 3ord* sa"* in !hich

'ohn Wa"ne stood ta$$ %or a$$ that an" #ood American &o" cou$d e.er !ant to

&e++!as an a!areness that the %rontier !as $ess a p$ace than a state o% mind

represented in historic terms &" a %$eetin# moment #$impsed imper%ect$" in the

rapid !a.e o% !est!ard mi#ration and sett$ement( mp$icit$"* then* !hate.er

&a$ance o% past and %uture identities the %rontier cou$d o%%er !as itse$%

tenuous or i$$usor"(

wentieth*century immigrants, particularly the Eastern European -ews who

came to America after //0 and who settled in the industrial and mercantilecenters of the Northeast**cities like 1leveland where -erry Siegel and -oe

Shuster grew up and created Superman**could be entertained by the 2estern, but

they developed a separate literary tradition that addressed the theme of

assimilation in terms closer to their personal experience. In this tradition

issues were clear*cut 1linging to an 3ld 2orld identity meant isolation in

ghettos, confrontation with a pre#udiced mainstream culture, second*class

social status, and impoverishment. 3n the other hand, forsaking the past in

favor of total absorption into the mainstream, while it could result in

socioeconomic progress, meant a loss of the religious, linguistic, even

culinary traditions that provided a foundation for psychological well*being.

Such loss was particularly tragic for the -ews because of the fundamental role

played by history in -ewish culture.

Writers !ho !orked in this tradition++A&raham ahan* Danie$ 3uchs* ;enr"

Roth* and De$more Sch!ar* amon# others++#enera$$" %ound $itt$e reason to .ie!

the e5perience o% assimi$ation !ith =o" or optimism( ,"pica$ o% the tradition

!as ahan-s ear$" no.e$ Yek$* on !hich 'oan Mick$in Si$.er-s %i$m ;ester

Street !as &ased( A "oun# married coup$e* 'ake and Git$* c$ash o.er his need

to &e a&sor&ed as /uick$" as possi&$e into the American mainstream and her

o&sessi.e preser.ation o% their Russian+'e!ish herita#e( n s"m&o$ic terms*

their con%rontation is as simp$e as their choice o% head#ear++a der&" %or him*

a &a&ushka %or her( ,hat the stor" ends !ith their di.orce* e.en in the

conte5t o% their #radua$ mo.ement to!ard mutua$ understandin# o% one another-s

point o% .ie!* su##ests the di.isi.e nature o% the pressures at !ork in the

immi#rant communities(

Where the pressures !ere perhaps most keen$" %e$t !as in the schoo$s(

Educationa$ theor" o% the period stressed the &ene%its o% rapid assimi$ation(

n the %irst decades o% this centur"* %or e5amp$e* Ne! York schoo$s %$at$"re=ected &i$in#ua$ education++a common response to the p$i#ht o% non+En#$ish+

speakin# immi#rants e.en toda"++and there !ere conscientious e%%orts to

indoctrinate the chi$dren o% immi#rants !ith American .a$ues* o%ten at the

e5pense o% traditions !ithin the ethnic communit"( What resu$ted !as a

#enerationa$ ri%t in !hich chi$dren !ere open$" em&arrassed &" and e.en

contemptuous o% their parents- .a$ues* settin# a pattern in American $i%e in

!hich second+#eneration immi#rants mi#rate ps"cho$o#ica$$" i% not ph"sica$$"

%rom their parents* $ea.in# it up to the third #eneration and &e"ond to

redisco.er their ethnic roots(


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nder such circumstances* %indin# a &e$ie.a&$e and inspirin# &a$ance

&et!een the o$d identit" and the ne!* $ike that imp$icit in the m"th o% the

%rontier* !as ne5t to impossi&$e( ,he ima#es and characters that did emer#e

%rom the immi#rant communities !ere o%ten comic( Seen o.er and o.er in the

%iction and popu$ar theater o% the da" !as the %i#ure o% the

"iddische Yankee* a =in#oistic optimist !ho spoke hea.i$" accented American

s$an#* ta$ked &ase&a$$ $ike an addict !ithout understandin# the #ame* and

dressed $ike a 0road!a" dand" on a &ud#et++in short* one !ho didn-t understand

America !e$$ enou#h to distin#uish &et!een ima#e and su&stance and !ho paid

%or the mistake &" &ecomin# the &utt o% a st"$e o% comed" &orderin# on pathos(

So in#rained !as this stereot"pe in popu$ar cu$ture that it echoes toda" in ,

situation comed"(

,hrou#hout American popu$ar cu$ture &et!een 188B and the Second Wor$d War

the stor" !as the same( )5$ike S!edish %armers* German &re!ers* 'e!ish

merchants* corrupt rish !ard hea$ers* ta$ian #an#sters ++there !as a parade

o% ima#es that re%$ected in terms o%ten comic* sometimes tra#ic* the

humi$iation* pain* and cu$tura$ insecurit" o% peop$e in a state o% transition(

E.en in the comics* a medium intimate$" connected !ith immi#rant cu$ture*

there simp$" !as no ima#e that presented a &$endin# o% identities in the

assimi$ation process in a !a" that stressed pride* se$%+con%idence* inte#rit"*

and ps"cho$o#ica$ !e$$+&ein#( None* that is* unti$ Superman( he brilliant stroke in the conception of Superman**the sine "ua non that

makes the whole myth work**is the fact that he has two identities. he myth

simply wouldn$t work without 1lark 4ent, mild mannered newspaper reporter and

later, as the myth evolved, bland 5 newsman. Adopting the white*bread image

of a wimp is first and foremost a moral act for the !an of Steel. &e does it

to protect his parents from nefarious sorts who might use them to gain an edge

over the powerful alien. !oreover, 4ent adds to Superman$s powers the moral

guidance of a Smallville upbringing. It is -onathan 4ent, fans remember, who

instructs the alien that his powers must always be used for good. hus does

the myth add a mainstream white Anglo*Saxon 6rotestant ingredient to the

American stew. 1lark 4ent is the clearest stereotype of a self*effacing,

hesitant, doubting, middle*class weakling ever invented. &e is the epitome of

visible invisibility, someone whose extraordinary ordinariness makes him

disappear in a crowd. In a phrase, he is the consummate figure of total

cultural assimilation, and significantly, he is not real. Implicit in this is

the notion that mainstream cultural norms, however useful, are illusions.

,hou#h a dis#uise* 4ent is necessar" %or the m"th to !ork( ,his uni/ue$"

American hero has t!o identities* one &ased on !here he comes %rom in $i%e-s

=ourne"* one on !here he is #oin#( )ne is rea$* one an i$$usion* and &oth are

necessar" %or the m"th o% &a$ance in the assimi$ation process to &e comp$ete(

Superman-s po!ers make the hero capa&$e o% sa.in# humanit"6 4ent-s tota$

immersion in the American heart$and makes him !ant to do it( ,he resu$t is an

impro.ement on the Western@ an optimistic m"th o% assimi$ation &ut !ith an

ur&an* technocratic settin#(

)ne must ne.er underestimate the importance to a m"th o% the most minute

e$ements !hich do not chan#e o.er time and &" !hich !e reco#nie the stor"(

,ake Superman-s cape* %or e5amp$e( When 'oe Shuster inked the %irst Supermanstories* in the ear$" thirties !hen he !as sti$$ a student at $e.e$and-s

G$en.i$$e ;i#h Schoo$* Superman !as strict$" &ee%cake in ti#hts* $ookin# more

$ike a circus acro&at than the u$timate Man o% Stee$( 0" 'une o% 19C8 !hen

Action omics no( 1 !as issued* the ima#e had &een a$tered to inc$ude a cape*

ostensi&$" to make %$i#ht easier to render in the pictures( 0ut it !asn-t the

cape o% ictorian me$odrama and ad.enture %iction* the kind !orn !ith a c$asp

around the neck( n %act* one is hard+pressed to %ind an" precedent in popu$ar

cu$ture %or the kind o% cape Superman !ears( ;is emer#es in a seam$ess $ine

%rom either side o% the %ront "oke o% his tunic( t is a .erita&$e #ro!th %rom


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&ehind his pectora$s and han#s* !hen he stands at ease* in a $ine that doesn-t

so much drape his shou$ders as stand apart %rom them and echo their cur.e*

$ike an an#e$-s !in#s(

n $i#ht o% this #raphic detai$* it seems hard$" coincidenta$ that

Superman-s rea$* 4r"ptonic name is 4a$+E$* an apparent neo$o#ism &" Geor#e

Lo!ther* the author !ho no.e$ied the comic strip in 19( n ;e&re!* e$ can

&e &oth root and a%%i5( As a root* it is the mascu$ine sin#u$ar !ord %or God(

An#e$s in ;e&re! m"tho$o#" are ca$$ed &enei E$ohim >$itera$$"* sons o% the

Gods* or E$"onim >hi#her &ein#s( As an a%%i5* e$ is most o%ten trans$ated as

Fo% God*F as in the p$enitude o% )$d ,estament #i.en names@ shma+e$* Dani+e$*

Eeki+e$* Samu+e$* etc( t is a$so a common %orm %or named an#e$s in most

Semitic m"tho$o#ies@ sra%+e$* Aa+e$* ri+e$* Yo+e$* Rapha+e$* Ga&ri+e$ and++

the one perhaps most $ike Superman++ Micha+e$* the !arrior an#e$ and Satan-s

principa$ ad.ersar"(

,he morpheme 4a$ &ears a $in#uistic re$ation to t!o ;e&re! roots( ,he

%irst* ka$* means F!ith $i#htnessF or Fs!i%tnessF >%aster than a speedin#

&u$$et in ;e&re!?( t a$so &ears a connection to the root ha$* !here h is the

#uttura$ ch o% chutpah( ;a$ trans$ates rou#h$" as Fe.er"thin#F or Fa$$(F 4a$+

e$* then* can &e read as Fa$$ that is God*F or perhaps more in the spirit o%

the m"th o% Superman* Fa$$ that God is(F And !hi$e !e-re at it* 4ent is a %orm

o% the ;e&re! ka$a( n its k+n+t %orm* the !ord appears in the 0i&$e* meanin#F ha.e %ound a son(F

-m su##estin# that Superman raises the American immi#rant e5perience to

the $e.e$ o% re$i#ious m"th( And !h" not? ;e-s not =ust some immi#rant %rom

across the !aters $ike a$$ our ancestors* &ut a rea$ a$ien* an

e5traterrestria$* a .isitor %rom hea.en i% "ou !i$$* !hich %act $ends an

e$ement o% the supernatura$ to the m"th( America has no nationa$ re$i#ious

icons nor an" pi$#rima#e shrines( ,he idea o% a patron saint is $udicrous in a

nation !hose 3oundin# 3athers !rote into the %oundin# documents the

%undamenta$ i% not eterna$ separation o% church and state( America* thou#h* is

prett" much as re$i#ious as other industria$ied countries( t-s

=ust that our tradition o% re$i#ious di.ersit" prec$udes the nation-s

re$i#ious character %rom &ein# em&odied in o&=ects or persons reco#nia&$"

re$i#ious* %or such are immediate$" identi%ied &" their attachment to speci%ic

sectarian traditions and thus contradict the ec$ecticism o% the American

re$i#ious spirit(

n America* cu$tura$ icons that mana#e to tap the nationa$ re$i#ious spirit

are o% necessit" secu$ar on the sur%ace and su%%icient$" #enera$ied to

incorporate the di.ersit" o% American re$i#ious traditions( Superman doesn-t

ha.e to &e seen as an an#e$ to &e appreciated* &ut in the a&sence o% a

tradition o% nationa$ re$i#ious icono#raph"* he can ser.e as a sa%e*

nonsectarian %ocus %or essentia$$" re$i#ious sentiments* particu$ar$" amon#

the "oun#(

n the $ast ana$"sis* Superman is $ike nothin# so much as an American &o"-s

%antas" o% a messiah( ;e is the ma$e* heroic match %or the Statue o% Li&ert"*

come $ike an immi#rant %rom hea.en to de$i.er humankind &" sacri%icin# himse$%

in the ser.ice o% others( ;e protects the !eak and de%ends truth and =ustice

and a$$ the other mora$ .irtues inherent in the'udeo+hristian tradition* remainin# e.er .i#i$ant and e.er chaste( What purer

or stron#er .ision cou$d there possi&$" &e %or a chi$d? No! that put m" mind

to it* see that 'ohn Wa"ne ne.er had a chance(

what makes superman so darn american?

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