American Experience: The Textual Analysis of Superman
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Introduction This paper aims to have a textual analysis of a literary text with the aim of making establishing how it reflects the American dream or what may be termed the American experience. In this analysis, I have chosen to use Superman comics, starting from 1983 to the present day. The aim is to establish how the Americans have interpreted the ideas of success and the American dream. Superman interestingly fights for American ideals despite the fact he comes from another planet and that his powers/identity keeps him separate from others. The concept of the American dream started before independence and went on until the depression era. American was then termed a good poor man’s country in which anyone would excel and become a respectable citizen and have both personal and…show more content… He has travelled from the ‘old world’ of Krypton to the new world of Earth. He has moved from the small rural village to the big-city Metropolis. In addition, he has been viewed as a representation of democracy and freedom. However, he has a negative depiction as well. Superman is considered more brutish in his superpowers and his ability to work outside the law has been seen to represent oppression and subjugation.
Religiously, he is a symbol of Judaism as two young Jewish men, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, created him. They gave him a similar life to that of Moses as he was also set a drift by his parents and raised by others in a new home. In addition to that, he has been a symbol of Christianity. This is shown in the movie played by Marlon Brando in the 1978 in which Superman’s father sent his son to go live among the people of the Earth. The father viewed the people of the Earth as great people who only lack the light to show the