The Myth of the American Superhero

John Shelton Lawrence, Robert Jewett, 2002, 416 sivua, kovakantinen, pari merkintää on.

From the Superman of comic books to Hollywood's big-screen action stars, Americans have long enjoyed a love affair with the "superhero." In this engaging volume John Shelton Lawrence and Robert Jewett explore the historical and spiritual roots of the superhero myth and its deleterious effect on America's democratic vision.

Arguing that the superhero is the antidemocratic counterpart of the classical "monomyth" described by Joseph Campbell, the authors show that the American version of the monomyth derives from tales of redemption. In settings where institutions and elected leaders always fail, the American monomyth offers heroes who combine elements of the selfless servant with the lone, zealous crusader who destroys evil. Taking the law into their own hands, these unelected figures assume total power to rid the community of its enemies, thus comprising a distinctively American form of pop fascism.

Drawing widely from books, films, TV programs, video games, and places of superhero worship on the World Wide Web, the authors trace the development of the American superhero during the twentieth century and expose the mythic patterns behind the most successful elements of pop culture. Lawrence and Jewett challenge readers to reconsider the relationship of this myth to traditional religious and social values, and they show how, ultimately, these antidemocratic narratives gain the spiritual loyalties of their audiences, in the process inviting them to join in crusades against evil.

Finally, the authors pose this provocative question: Can we take a holiday from democracy in our lives of fantasy and entertainment while preserving our commitment to democratic institutions and ways of life?

The Myth of the American Superhero is a scholarly non-fiction book by Robert Jewett and John Shelton Lawrence.[1][2]

The Myth of the American Superhero

AuthorRobert Jewett
John Shelton LawrenceLanguageEnglishGenreNonfiction

Publication date

2002Publication placeUnited StatesMedia typePrintISBN9780802825735

It describes the idealized, fantasy violence so distinctive of American pop culture. The authors propose that the American heroic ideal, conveyed in formula stories of "the American monomyth," is explicitly anti-democratic and contagious. Crusading loners, attracted by guns, bombs, and the call to destroy evil, act out the premises of the myth with tragic consequences. This book argues that Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski adopted the mythic convictions ritually enacted by celebrity stars such as John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Steven Seagal.

The book, published in July 2002, explores the relationship between our entertainment of the past century, and our national commitment to the ideals of democracy. Stories about superheroes—from the vigilante ideal launched by The Virginiannovel a hundred years to the latest Spider-Manfilms or Touched by an Angel TV episodes — express despair over the failings of self-managed government and the hope for redemption by powerful individuals who rise above the law and institutions. The Myth of the American Superherodiscusses novels, films, television shows, videogames and the behavior of national leaders inspired by this myth.