New Book Alert: Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism by Tom Durwood; Fascinating Analytical Look Into Literature, Films, Comics, and Pop Culture
By Julie Sara Porter
Bookworm Reviews
There are many who don't think that literary criticism is necessary, beyond saying whether a work is good or bad. They especially are wary of criticizing Children's Literature, thinking that this form of literature is for kids and should just simply be recognized on that superficial level.
But what many don't realize is that whether they are aware of it or not, they criticize and analyze children's Literature. When they make comparisons between the Hunger Games' characters' rebellions against the Capitol and Marvel's hero's fights against HYDRA and Thanos, they are making an analysis. They are also criticizing literature when they introduce their own favorite childhood works to a younger generation and wondering if the writing still holds up or whether a work is appropriate for their children. Even a simple subjective analysis of whether a work is good or not is a form of literary criticism, because one has to analyze what specifically they liked or didn't like about it.
Tom Durwood's fascinating book Kid Lit: Introduction to Literary Criticism is an analytical look into children's literature and other cultural touchstones like popular movies and comics to understand that there are more to works that are aimed for children than many think.
The book is divided in two halves. The first half covers the history of children's literature as well as various analytical themes that are present in such works. The second half offers a sample of literary analysis discussing works as diverse as The Lion King, Harry Potter, Tintin, Tarzan, Pixar films, and Afrofuturist literature.
Timeline
The first chapter offers a timeline of literature from the past and present. Durwood takes us through Fables and Fairy Tales like The Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and Arabian Nights. Then,
19th Century British Literature entered the scene with books like Treasure Island, the Alice books, Wind in the Willows, Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, Winnie the Pooh, and Beatrix Potter's works. The 20th century is revealed by largely American works like The OZ and Little House books, the popularity of Dr. Seuss, Disney, and epic fantasy, the creation of awards like the Newbery Medal, and books that addressed more serious topics. The serious topics included divorce, death, warfare, gang violence, and homosexuality.
The 21st Century offers a blend of medium from books, movies, television, and online gaming and streaming services, to create memorable stories and characters like The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Five Nights at Freddy's that overlap from one form of media to another. There is also a rise in multicultural literature such as works by African, Asian, and Native American authors.
The timeline is skewered mostly in favor of European and American literature by mostly white authors. However, it explores how the genre changed over the years in terms of authors, characters, and themes. It also shows how other popular culture touchstones outside of books played into the world of literature.
Building Blocks and Themes of Literature
The book covers the various building blocks to create a good work of literature such as characterization, plot, and theme. Durwood goes into details about the plot including the three act structure of introduction, rising action, and crisis and surprising resolution. He also includes Billy Wilder's Rules such as "Audiences are fickle", "If you have a problem with the third act, then the real problem with the first act", and "Let the third act just build, build, in tempo and action until the last event and that's it. don't hang around."
Durwood gives some witty examples of works that did this right and others that did not. For example he described Franco Zeffirelli's version of Hamlet as one that worked because it resisted the temptation to insert long speeches after the action. However, he felt Lord of the Rings movies did not work as well, "because they hung around so long, (Durwood) wanted to grade papers, anything."
Durwood also writes of various themes in the first part of Kid Lit, that are common in children's literature. These themes include coming of age narratives, the protagonist's search for identity and belonging, gender roles in literature, class conflict and trauma, and warfare and rebellion.
He cites some examples like Anne of Green Gables as an example of Anne Shirley's search for identity as an orphan girl adopted by Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert and evolved into her role as a scholar and a schoolteacher in the Avonlea community.
The Outsiders focuses on class conflicts between the wealthy Socs and poor Greasers as well as the trauma experienced by the impoverished orphaned Curtis brothers and the violent actions of the unstable Dallas.
Literary Analysis
These samples are mere tastes of the real analyses that occur in the second part of KidLit. The book presents summaries or interviews with the authors about the essays while offering links to the essays themselves. The interviews explore in great detail different works of fiction and analytical meanings behind them. Some Readers may not agree with these analyses, some may even find them offensive. But they present intriguing alternative views of these works and that's what literary criticism is about. To dig deeper into what you are reading or viewing and find those connections.
The Lion King and Social Darwinism
One of the most provocative essays in the second half of the book is Dan Hossler-Forest's critique of the Disney animated film, The Lion King, "'The Lion King's and Its Message of Social Darwinism: A Cultural Critic Sees Undertones of Fascism in the Popular Story."
In his summary of Forest's work, Durwood writes that "The inherited right of Simba and Mufasa to lord it over the lower animals of the veldt is presented as a fact, and their absolute authority is never questioned."
One of the take-aways that young people could learn from the Lion King is how power is dispersed and how power is portrayed in the media. One scene in the movie that Forest believes that illustrates his theory is the famous "Circle of Life" scene where Mufasa explains to his son that they eat the antelope but that when lions die, they become grass for the antelope to eat. Forest compared this dialogue to a child asking his rich father why they are rich and others are poor. "The father's answer would be maintaining balance in the world since a small majority of the rich (the top of the food chain) were meant to rule over the poor... Simba's response is to simply internalize this ideology and look forward to all the privilege that awaits him once he's all grown up."
One suggestion that Forest would have in improving the narrative is to take the hyenas seen as comic relief poachers and show what it's like to live outside of the lion's society and in the fringes of a wasteland. (Disney themselves attempted this by presenting a hyena protagonist character as a friend of the main lion in a spin-off series called The Lion Guard.)
Forest's critique is compelling in how it personifies animal characters in animation. We aren't looking at animal characters in some ways, we are looking at metaphors to our own societies, problems, and fears. Through Forest's eyes we see a world that accepts the social darwinism dynamic as unchangeable, but the theme is faulty because it can be changed...in the human world.
However, where Forest fails in his criticism is to put a largely human ideal into a movie about animals. While the characters in the Lion King are metaphors, they are also themselves animals. An animal cannot choose to follow their natural instincts to hunt other animals or what society in which they create and live. Survival of the fittest is built into them as well as protection for their pride. Instead, The Circle of Life scene is an explanation of how nature works and is unable to be changed. Forest took a human concept into an animal story when he would have done better to take that theme into a movie about humans, or at least in something like Zootopia or DuckTales, where the animal characters are anthropomorphic and live closer to a human-like society.
Star Wars and Government
Governmental roles also play a big part in Alexander Maxwell's critique of the first six Star Wars films "Star Wars and Government: The Heart of the Space-Based Franchise Lies in Civics." Maxwell's premise, Durwood says is "That beneath all of the lightsaber fights and spaceships, memorable characters and thrilling adventure, the Star Wars series are all about government: specifically clashing forms of government and what they bring to their citizens."
Maxwell sees the governments created in the movies as a composite of modern governments like the United States and the United Nations, as well as historic governmental bodies most notably the Roman Empire. George Lucas himself was inspired by recent history when he fashioned the original trilogy.
The space fights in the original trilogy were intentionally reminiscent of the aerial dogfights of WWI and WWII. Lucas also compared the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi to the Vietnam War with the native Ewoks and rebels able to stand against and beat the more technologically based and seemingly powerful Empire.
In comparing the Galactic Senate to the General Assembly of the United Nations. Maxwell said "Delegates to the U.N. General Assembly represents their respective countries, not political parties. Is it really so strange that the Galactic Republic would resemble the U.N. General Assembly?"
Even though many mocked the concept of Naboo having elected queens, Maxwell cited the Holy Roman Emperor and the Prince of Novgorod as examples of elected monarchs in history.
Maxwell also sees recent history in the series. While he disagreed with George Lucas' comparison to Vietnam, he saw images of the United States after 9/11 and the creation of the Patriot Act.
This was especially evident in the scene in Revenge of the Sith when Supreme Chancellor Palpatine declares himself Emperor in front of the Galactic Senate for the first time. Amidst the overwhelming rush of support, Senator Padme Amidala recognizes the tyranny that lies ahead and says, "So this is how liberty dies with thunderous applause."
Maxwell's analysis goes all over the place to the point where he cites various incidents in ancient and modern history as well as current events as sources for the Star Wars films. Maybe if he stuck to one historical comparison, say the Fall of the Roman Empire, the essay might have been clearer.
However, the Star Wars movies themselves are an amalgam of different historical and current sources and this essay reveals it. It also shows the importance of using fiction to study history.
On a personal note, as one of the few Star Wars fans who likes the prequels (even considers Revenge of the Sith as my second favorite film after A New Hope), it is nice to see someone, especially an academic, finding something of value in the prequel trilogy.
Tintin and European Colonialism
Another discussion that KidLit goes into is how literature evolves with how the so-called "Other" is portrayed. This also plays into the Imperialism themes found in older works, particularly in Herge's comic book series The Adventures of Tintin and the Tarzan franchise.
In her essay "How We See 'The Other's in Tintin: The Role of Empire In One Of Our Most Popular Comics," Emma Walker looks at how the history of Belgian colonialism affected the early adventures of Tintin.
She believes that many 20th century European works like Tintin carry "a dominant European narrative, the romanticized and most crucially the false representation of Asia and the Middle East as subordinate." In reading these early works for a cultural study, Readers can learn about the colonial assumptions that Europeans felt about the world around them and the natives that they encountered.
Walker said that it is important to study these cultural connections between the countries because it helps to understand a cultural identity: "Not only does the subject matter (of 'The Other' portrayed in comic books) explore how identities have been forged through class, gender, and nation, but the prints, the colours, the cost, and general materials of culture that comic books, gives us an insight into the lives of those who engage with them."
Tintin is seen in this essay as the embodiment of the typical Western hero: white, physically strong, intelligent, brave, and more heroic than the other characters around him. He is definitely the product of their time.
Walker notes that "the stories connote racial difference through the stereotypical views of the empire. The characters offer the perfect opportunity to externalize the villain. They evidence the emergence of imperial nationalism and they represent an imperial worldview made of racial ideas. They are a product of an imperial context and must be seen as such."
One of the more troubling issues in the Tintin series is Tintin in the Congo, which depicts stereotypical images of Congolese natives and a more troubling panel of Tintin standing next to a blackboard attempting to "educate and civilize the natives." This unfortunate nod to the presumed White Man's Burden also counters with some of Herge's satirical aspects of parodying this cultural identity.
One panel depicts Tintin acting more savage and violent than the black characters around him and another shows the incompetent Inspectors Thomson and Thompson dressing in completely inappropriate native garb and being called out by Tintin and others.
Besides these subtle jabs at cultural identity, Maxwell also notes that Herge often allowed his characters and himself to evolve with the times. The cartoonist admitted that he "was fed on the prejudices of the bourgeois society into which (he) moved….it was 1930."
He also freely admitted that he himself had never been to Africa and based his research on biased works that reflected imperialist world views. His later comics like The Blue Lotus reflected a more balanced view of non-European characters with more nuances in character and less caricatured designs.
This essay shows how flawed research and one-sided worldviews play into more cultural touchstones like comics. Comics reflect the world in which the Authors and Illustrators live and their perspective of the characters, particularly those that they depict as 'The Other'. Maxwell reflects how important it is to study, not necessarily glorify, these images like Tintin, no matter how painful they appear to a modern audience, to see how culture was affected by the worldview. In Herge's case, it is also fascinating to read how an author changes their perspective and evolves their works as a testament to a more tolerant accepting view.
Tarzan and Imperialism
Another character who evolved with the times was Tarzan though not through his original author, Edgar Rice Burroughs. Instead, he changed with how he has been depicted by others in films, comics, cartoons, television, and in books by other authors.
In her essay "Imperialism in Tarzan: Hidden Depths in a Story You Think You Know," Anna Kozack contrasts Tarzan's depiction in the original Burroughs' novels and in the Disney animated movie.
Durwood says that it is important to separate the original character from the reinterpretation: "(Tarzan) is a literary property that is more complex than we sometimes credit it if all we know are the movies. To understand 'the jungle king' and why he is such an enduring character-and so controversial-we need to filter out the story's many themes and elements."
Similar to Maxwell's view of Tintin, Kozack sees Tarzan's creation in 1914 as a commentary on America's growing Imperialism and its entrance as a world power. Even though Kozack grew up with the Disney film, she believed that it diluted Burroughs' Imperialist views when he presented Tarzan to the world.
She said that Burroughs was a product of their time "depicting Africans as inferior to Europeans, but it is difficult to fault him as an individual for being immersed in the racist colonial ideologies that were present when he was alive. Yet Disney does not offer a particularly strong alternative to Burroughs depiction of race-it decides to avoid the mention of race altogether by erasing any depictions of Africans…. Disney's portrayal of Tarzan as an ape man who grows up without any contact with African perpetuates the wilderness myth. Seeing Africa as a wilderness rather than as a place with humans living in it casts it as an uncultivated that allows colonizers to justify claiming it."
Kozack also sees the ongoing mythos of Tarzan as an acknowledgement of lost identity and the growth of industrialization, sort of reminiscent of Rousseau's depiction of the "Natural Man." Kozack says "As Burroughs suggests, laws produce restrictions and inhibitions, which cannot be said to have existed before the Industrial Age, but perhaps became more noticeable during moments of turbulent change that unsettles society as we know it. If Burroughs were still alive today, the villains in Tarzan would probably be less likely to resemble another individual. Tarzan would probably assume the role of some kind of vigilante (like Batman) or anarchist (Like Tyler Durden in Fight Club) and fight against modern society itself."
Similar to Maxwell's essay about Tintin, Kozack captures Tarzan as a character of his time representing the early 20th Century views of Imperialism, Masculinity, and Industrialization. However, she also acknowledges how the character evolves through other depictions which sometimes capture their own views of Tarzan and the world in which he inhabited. Tarzan, like many popular characters, before and since, are Rorschach tests of current events and cultural identity.
Binti and Afrofuturism
One way to counter the early Imperialist views reflected by early works like Tintin and Tarzan is to look at how current books capture multiculturalism by depicting different characters, settings, themes, and plots that reflect other cultural identities than the standard views previously told in literature. One of those is Nnendi Okorafor's Binti series which is an example of a recent subgenre that has gained popularity because of depictions like Black Panther: Afrofuturism.
Afrofuturism is speculative fiction, science fiction and fantasy mostly, that is rooted in African culture and uses themes found in current African and African-American concerns. Like Black Panther, other works that fit the genre are Octavia Butler's Kindred and Bloodchild and Nancy Farmer's The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm.
In her essay, "Empire and Higher Education in Nnedi Okorafor's 'Binti': The Empire Writes Back New Directions For The Fantasy Epic," Amanda Lagii cites Okorafor's epic fantasy series, Binti as an example of how Afrofuturism transforms a traditionally European genre to adapt its own cultural identity.
One of the areas in the Binti series that Lagii focuses on is the role that schools and museums, especially higher education, play in empire building within the series. In the series, Binti gets accepted into a prestigious intergalactic university, Oomza Uni. Like other heroes in speculative fiction, Binti is forced to leave home to seize this opportunity and fight against her oppressors.
Durwood says that this comparison is intentional. "This begins Binti's quest to not only find her own place in the universe, but also to reconcile new knowledge with the ancient traditions of her people. If most of that sounds familiar, it is because almost any epic fantasy comes with conventions that Readers expect...These are all elements established by The Lord of The Rings saga written by a scholar who mined mythology for many of these elements. What is new is the texture of the setting, the imagery, and the special kind of story points brought by a West African language. Here the rules set up by mostly Caucasian European (English that is) epic fantasies are changed by an infusion of African motifs and themes."
Lagii wants Readers to understand the relations between fiction to their own world. She says that Readers should "think about the spaces that they inhabit and consider how colonial and settler pasts are not so distant, but are folded into the present….I challenge readers to think about the role of higher education and disciplines in privilege or discrediting ways of knowing; how do various disciplines define and value knowledge?"
Comparing Binti to another Afrofuturistic novel, Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga, Lagii sees a trend in the coming of age stories. Lagii writes, "What is the cost of coming of age in the worlds (the characters) inhabit: what losses might they accrue to attain success and development in the social contexts in which they find themselves? Rather than reconciling oneself with the world, these protagonists challenge their worlds to accommodate them.
In the real world outside of Binti's, there are many questions about the legacy of white supremacy in higher education, about how multicultural curricula is, what should be done about schools named for and featuring monuments to slave owners, and acknowledging schools being built on land stolen from Native American tribes.
A book like Binti addresses these concerns outright albeit in a fictionalized environment. "The 'how' (these concerns) are addressed will look different in different places, but it should address everything from the school's material and physical conditions of possibility (lead, capital, labor etc.), to the production of knowledge. Who do we read? Who do we cite? Whose histories and stories am I missing? What counts as knowledge? What are the implicit values of dominant worldviews."
While Binti is an example of Afrofuturism, Lagii believes that books like this transcend culture and nationality while still remaining a part of their identity. She says, "I can see American and Nigerian readers can see their worlds refracted in Binti, but I resist the notion that this story could be categorized along national lines. Okorafor herself has spoken at great lengths about her own identification as a 'Najiamerican,' a term that allows her to occupy the borders nationality erects between places and people. In that sense, I see her work occupying the same space."
While I have not read the Binti series, this is among the best essays in the book. Lagii's critique is a counter to Maxwell's and Kozack's about Tintin and Tarzan. It recognizes the value of capturing various voices and cultures in literature and how these literary works are a small part of how our perspectives change over time.
His Dark Materials and Exploration History
Another essay that ponders how history is used in literature is "Phillip Pullman, Polar Bears, and The Real Arctic: How a Close Reading of History Matters in 'His Dark Materials,'" R.L. Shield's commentary on Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy. With the Arctic setting and the polar bear companions standing in as Inuits, Shields sees a lot of comparisons between this fantasy world and the British history's perspective of the exploration of the Arctic.
Shields writes "(Pullman's) explorers are manly men who shape the landscape to their own will and beautiful women in impractical clothing who never look worse for the wear. For the most part, references to cannibalism, scurvy, and other real indignities of Arctic exploration are left out of this version. There is little reference to frustrations or setbacks….Our responsibility as literary critics, however, is not to let the shadows of Imperialism go unchallenged, even in acclaimed works of literature."
One way that Shields suggests that can combat this unintentional imperialism is to hire Sensitivity Readers: Readers who help writers depict characters who are different from themselves. The sensitivity reader shares aspects of their cultural identity and personal experiences to assist with improving the character.
Shields writes, "The answer is not to give up writing outside your experience, but to always put your best effort into writing with care (with the help of a sensitivity reader)."
Shields sees other authors "romancing the past in the choice to resurrect it." Among those are George R.R. Martin and the showrunners behind Game of Thrones. While she cites characters like Brienne of Tarth and Arya Stark as exceptions to the rule, many female characters are found wanting. Of the women who end up queens: Cersei Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, and Sansa Stark, two become homicidally insane and only one retains her power in the final episode.
Shields writes, "Since this is clearly a fantastical version of the middle ages, why must it be dominated by white men? If you're going to invent zombies why not gender equality as well? And if we're really going to be historically accurate why not take the model of Iceland, where women mostly ran the farmstead on their farms and sue for divorce?"
Ironically, His Dark Materials has an ongoing theme of questioning authority, a theme which is practiced by the protagonist, Lyra. Shields recognizes the conflict between the theme of defying authority and Pullman's fascination with Britain's imperial past.
Shields writes, "Various Readers have discovered this conflict between this clear message about disobeying authority and fighting for knowledge and some underlying ways in which the story actually upholds and reinforces particular types of authority and knowledge….Pullman is saying that we should question authority, but he also might be implying, perhaps unintentionally, that certain elements of Britishness make Lyra particularly good at resisting and defying those in power. There are other characters who perform heroic acts and resist authority as well so this is not true in every sense of the series."
This essay reveals that many modern works still unintentionally carry many of the Imperialist views. It is important in writing modern literature to be sensitive towards how characters, especially those different from the authors, are written so they don't unintentionally fall into stereotypes and cliches. Hiring sensitivity and beta readers are steps in the right direction, as well as doing careful and meticulous research.
Pixar and Gender Roles
Besides race and history, gender is another controversial topic found in literature and media. Pixar movies are known for their brilliant characters that charm and enchant the Readers and some of them intentionally or unintentionally tackle gender roles. Durwood gathered four samples from essays in the chapter marked "Pixar Gender, Pixar Rules."
In his dissertation "The Portrayal of Gender in Feature-Length Films of Pixar: A Content Analysis," Jonathan Decker sees that Pixar goes beyond the traditional androcentric male lens experience. Though this essay was written before the female driven films like Brave and Inside Out, Decker was still full of praise for how female characters were portrayed in the animated films. "Pixar has abandoned girls with long eyelashes in favor of girls with bows and arrows….Pixar writes strong and varied female characters, breaking free of the 'princess' confines of traditional Disney by portraying women as cowgirls, chefs, superheroes, and professionals."
Suzanne G. Brydon's sample "Family Roles in Pixar: An Excerpt from 'Empowered Mothering', sees a more varied opinion of the animated studio. She cites Finding Nemo's Marlin as a male character that was able to take a maternal role for his son, Nemo. Brydon says, "Marlin was allowed to mother. Marlin shared food, groomed, nurtured, and taught. He tucked Nemo in, displayed emotions previously assigned on screen only to women, like fear and worry. In Finding Nemo that for the first time in its discourse, Disney opened up space for a male character to mother."
While she cites Finding Nemo as a film that challenged gender roles with a male character assuming what were once thought of as traditional female characteristics, Brydon believes that The Incredibles is a step backwards. Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible is super strong and hypermasculine and wants to return to his superhero days. Helen Parr/Elastigirl stretches herself too thin and cares more about the traditional family structure instead of standing out. Dash is a hyperactive boy with superspeed who makes his presence known, but learns to hold back to give other kids an advantage. Violet is a shy teenager who becomes invisible and wants to be normal, but eventually wears more attractive pink and talks to the boys at school. Brydon sees the Parrs as simply examples of the traditional family structure that just happens to have superpowers.
She writes "Despite the impressive strength and abilities exhibited by the female superheroes in The Incredibles ultimately the film emphasized the same old heteronormative structure we have seen in family films again and again."
Part of the attention to detail with Pixar's characters lie in their rules. Pixar Story Artist, Emma Coats, reveals the rules in her list, "Pixar Rules Part 1 (from a Pixar Story Artist)." Among the rules that pertain to character are "You admire a character for trying more than you do for their successes," "What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?," And "Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you, as you write, but it's poison to the audience."
In "Pixar Rules 2" Kyle Munkittrick elaborates on some of these rules and why they allow for deeper characterization. Rules like there is no magic wand that automatically fixes everything and there should be at least one intelligent character that isn't human allows for stronger interaction and that plots are resolved by characters' actions and motives and not outside forces.
Durwood explains that these rules also reflect an ongoing theme of mistrusting the future, seen mostly in Wall-E. He says "The new is seen as dangerous and feared. In so many Pixar movies, he argues, non-human sentient beings seek out human rebels. A team is formed when the mutual outsiders recognize a shared sense of purpose. Together, they overcome the high cost of non-conformity. The benefits for humanity are tremendous in every case where non-human characters are treated with respect."
The four samples are almost too brief to discuss their themes in great detail. However, the rules capture how characters are created and scrutinized by their goals, motivations, and actions. This attention to detail helps the studio to create characters that challenge gender roles and allows for a wider range amongst them.
Inside Out is a particularly excellent example of a strong female centered Pixar film in which the plot is driven by four female characters: Riley, an adolescent human girl and three emotions, Joy, Sadness, and Disgust, that are personified as women.
Superheroes and Philosophy
Durwood himself wrote two of the analyses. In his first, "Philosophy in Comics: Discovering Socrates in Comics," Durwood discusses the deeper meanings found within the pages of our most colorful superheroes and comic characters. As a subset of literature, comics carry strains of philosophy within their stories. Durwood writes, "Complexity, subtlety, and shades of gray have moved into comic-book narratives which were only seen in primary colors."
Durwood compiled a list of comics and characters and the most prominent philosophies that they represent.
They include: Capitalism (Iron Man/Tony Stark, Bruce Wayne, Scrooge McDuck), Existentialism (Dr. Strange, Silver Surfer), Nationalism (Captain America), Nihilism (The Joker, Galactus, The Comedian), Colonialism (Tarzan, Asterix, Tintin, Curious George, Babar), Afrofuturism (Black Panther), Zen Buddhism (Dr. Manhattan), Relativity (The Flash, Agent Carter), Libertarianism (Batman), Social Justice (Watchmen), Prejudice and The Other (X-Men, The Thing), Feminism (Wonder Woman), Our Place in the Cosmos (The Fantastic Four), Social Collectivism (The Society of the Green Lantern), Monarchy (Thor, The Inhuman), The Cult of Fitness (Batroc the Leaper), Rationalism (Reed Richards), Absurdity, Dadaism (Deadpool), and American Exceptionalism (Sgt. Rock, The Rawhide Kid).
Some comics and characters transcend various philosophies so Durwood couldn't fit them neatly in any one specific philosophy. He writes, "Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Snoopy have spawned a small library of books detailing the Peanuts philosophies but I cannot place them in any specific school of thought….The self-doubting Spiderman is one of the most philosophical of heroes, constantly giving thought and consideration to what he is doing. Doubt is a powerful element of both faith and philosophy. A key characteristic of Spidy/Peter Parker is his questioning the nature of his own gifts and his place in the scheme of things….The Siegel and Schuster Superman was among the least self-aware of superheroes. While that has changed in recent Kal-El portrayals, Superman's origin story and historical context work against recasting him as Hamlet."
Superheroes often question their morality of who they are, where they came from, what their motives are, and what constitutes justice in their eyes. Durwood says, "Almost every superhero story calls for the hero or heroine to make a moral choice. An important factor in the moral choice becomes the hero's motivation. Do they fight for revenge (The Punisher) or for the greater good ("With great power comes great responsibility?") The villainous Sandman fights for his daughter. Does a supervillain (or superhero's) motivations matter?"
What about killing? Many superheroes refuse to kill their enemies allowing them to fight another day. Are they then responsible if the villain then causes more havoc and kills more people? When villains and heroes battle, they cause a lot of property damage and deaths of extras. Are they responsible for that? Durwood discusses this matter, particularly with Batman who has a strict no killing enemies rule, even The Joker.
Esther Ingells-Arkell writes about Batman's complicated morals, "Batman tortures an incarcerated Joker to get information. It's shown as a moral digression, one which is echoed later when Lucius Fox leaves Wayne Enterprises after finding out about a covert surveillance program. But in the comics, Batman has been torturing people for decades."
Durwood and Ingells-Arkell also discuss other instances of Batman's questionable morals such as invasion of privacy, the balance of security and liberty, and the morality of training a child (Robin) to do deadly combat with armed criminals.
Within its characters, Watchmen discussed several themes of morality. Durwood writes, "Rorschach has clear black and white moral ideals...while Night Owl can tolerate shades of gray. The Comedian lives to erase all moral boundaries, and Ozymandias seems to exist on a plane above them, considering his extremely harsh 'greater good actions.'"
We have all wondered if we were a superhero, what kind of superpowers we would have. Two of the most common are flight and invisibility as found in a survey conducted in 2001 by writer, John Hodgman. Durwood suggests that those specific powers reveal the kind of person that the hero is and the normal person wants to be. Durwood writes, "... Invisibility is seen as a slightly sneaky voyeuristic power while flight is all about freedom and power." Others chose flight because it allows them to be in public and center stage or invisibility so they can sneak into places for free and to shoplift.
What Durwood and others found out was "No matter which power people chose in the flight/invisibility survey, they never use it to fight crime," as though crime fighting was a goal for a person with a greater amount of integrity and morals than the average person.
Durwood contemplates the hierarchy of superpowers, even those who technically don't have any. He writes, "Some characters do not have a superpower so much as a skill-Batman, Hawkeye, and Green Arrow are among those 'superheroes' who are actually just physically gifted people who work out a lot and enjoy fighting crime.
If there is a caste system among superpowers, I am guessing Thor would be placed among the aristocracy and Sandman among the riff-raff."
Plato and Socrates' philosophies can be found in comics as well, particularly in The Avengers. Philosophers, Sarah Donovan and Nick Richardson compare Socrates to Captain America because they both shared a profound faith in the idea of justice. Norman Osborn, The Green Goblin, arch-enemy of Spiderman is compared to Thrasymachus of Plato's The Republic. They act according to their own self-interest and believe that "we are only good when we think that we will benefit from it."
One of Plato's most prominent theories: The Theory of Being can also be found in comics. The theory states that humans are located in a universe of time and space. Space is the area in which things change, through time. Times moves through the Realms of the four elements-earth, air, fire, and water. Einstein believed that time and space merge, gravity can bend time, time is not absolute but relative to the observer. Time can vary depending on one's speed through space.
Durwood writes that time and space are altered quote frequently in the world of comics. He says, "Characters like The Flash, Captain America, (and Agent Carter), the teleporting X-Man Nightcrawler, and...Dr. Strange all deal directly with Einsteinian motions of time and space…..Avengers Endgame revolved around a central premise of time travel. Ditto Dr. Strange, in which the hero must stop time and re-thread it in a sort of loop, in order to defeat the dreaded Dormamaru, Lord of Chaos. In Superman: The Movie (1978), Superman flies faster than light to go back in time and rescue Lois Lane before she is killed. In the comics, The Flash the super speedster uses a cosmic treadmill to travel through time."
Philosophy and comics present a wide variety of discussions,but Durwood's essay offers an easy handle on what would be an otherwise unwieldy topic. It is fascinating to learn that deeper meaning and relations can be found in the world of colorful costumes, special effects, and big battles. Many times the philosophical themes found within the comics are the most compelling aspects to them.
Harry Potter and The Golden Age of Literature
The final essay is a return to the old school themes under the lens of one of the most popular current series, if not the most popular children's literature series of all time: J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.
In his essay, "Harry Potter: Last of His Breed: A Final Golden Age Book to Close The Door on High Empire Kid Lit," Durwood writes that the Harry Potter series is closer to the children's literature of the past than the current works of the present. He writes, "Brother to Peter Pan, cousin to The Hobbit (Harry Potter) is a work that sums up and closes the door on the Golden Age of Kid Lit."
Durwood describes Harry Potter as "High Empire" reminiscent of the British books of the 19th and 20th centuries. The fantastic creatures such as mountain trolls, goblins, giants, elves, werewolves etc. come from European fairy tales written by the likes of the Brothers Grimm. Others like the Phoenix and the Cerberus come from Greco-Roman mythology. Rowling who studied classics in the University of Exeter paid tribute to these early myths and legends within her world building.
There is also a strong comparison to British school age adventures like Tom Brown's School Days. Durwood writes that Tom Brown and Harry Potter share a great deal in common. "A lonely boy from a broken family arrives at an imposing boarding school with strange customs, meets a best friend, and overcomes an arrogant bully. With his pluck, good nature, and sense of fair play, the hero (Tom Brown or Harry Potter), shows up both his phony upperclassmen and his cruel teachers, all the while embodying the true spirit of the school (which had been falling into corruption), saving it from itself. Think empire."
Other possibilities for inspiration are either approved or disapproved of by Durwood. Such genres include: J.R.R. Tolkien (Dementors and Dumbledore may be similar to Nazgul and Gandalf respectively, but magic is central and clearly explained to Rowling's world and incidental to the epic adventures of Tolkien's.), British Gothic (omens, creepy castles, twisted passageways, and ghosts are integral to the Porter franchise, but the plots center around teamwork, friendship, and real love not madness, solitude, and dark brooding), Wuthering Heights (the backstory between dark, brooding, and somewhat abusive Severus Snape and innocent romantic maternal Lily Evans-Potter), George Orwell (The Ministry of Magic's complete control over the Wizarding World and their doublespeak language), Agatha Christie (mysteries, murder in a closed setting, and accumulation of clues are central to each volume), and Jane Austen (Characters follow specific manners and conventions in their conversations such as Dumbledore appealing to Slughorn's aid in a covert way, the romances in the Yule Ball, and the class system that is revealed with the House Elves.)
So is Harry Potter a throwback to the Golden Age of British Literature? Durwood gives that question a qualified yes. He says the books fit specific elements, "Deep friendship at the heart of each story-a family or substitute family, literacy: a love of language and wordplay, a fully realized imaginary world. Meticulously imagined, logically sound...a High Empire Britishness, an Imperial sensibility...the spotless train running from London to Hogwarts runs properly, without fail or falter, on time...invisible servers fill the Hogwarts dining halls with an endless supply of food...Life is good at the top of the pyramid. Smudge-faced working class children in factories populate Dickens stories, not the hallways of Ravenclaw."
Durwood recognizes a certain British quality in the Potter franchise, that of self-knowledge. He says that the books have "a deep inclusive sense of where one stands in the landscape, so strong that it borders on self-preservation. Americans are looking for their place (Little House on the Prairie), the British already know it."
Because of this innate Britishness, Harry Potter is quintessentially a British hero, one who would be different if he were American. This observation is made by Durwood and Ken Eckert, Associate Professor of English at Hanyang University. Eckert says, "Harry silently endures all the abuse that he does with a stiff upper lip without complaining or rebelling. If Harry Potter were set in the states...he wouldn't take all the crap he does from teachers, parents, and others. Americans love their heroes to be badass and fight authority….Harry sneaks around rules, but is no Holden Caulfield."
This essay shows that our modern literature can find its inspiration from the past. Various elements can combine to create something new that can be a throwback to the past or a newer and brighter trend. Harry Potter is no different. Despite Rowling's recent controversial offensive remarks towards the transgender community, the books themselves can be seen as a bridge between old and new. In recognizing all of the different sources that went into its creation, Readers can recognize that Rowling's work is a tribute to those works while making its mark towards young people of the 21st century.
Kid Lit: Introducing Literary Criticism is a book that informs us that there is a lot more going on in our favorite books, games, movies, shows, comics and other works that are seen on the surface. Looking at these themes and perspectives allow us to understand their creation and appreciate and understand them more.
