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Captain America's Emotional Appeal


Marvel Comics wanted a hero who could stand up for our country and make the people proud to be American in a time of crisis and peril. For them, it was Captain America. They were able to make him fight against enemies based on of real-world problems/enemies, while still incorporating elements of imagination and exaggeration, for example, one of his enemies that he fought during the 1960's was the threat of the "Madbomb" specifically the "big daddy" version which could affect the entire country if it went off, making everyone act insane. The creators also tried to make him more relatable to the common American Citizen, wanting to enlist in the army as soon as he got the chance, but he was not physically fit, was too short, too skinny, and even failed his eye exam. But it didn't bring him down and tried anything in order to join the fight, which is where he got his powers when he was put in life-threatening conditions, in order to push his body to the limit, with no guarantee of success, but his patriotism made him not give up, and made him become the hero America needed. The writers of the comic also added some romance in the series as he starts to fall in love with Wanda (or black widow) giving him a bit more sentimental side, which further builds his character. All of these factors combined show how Captain America encouraged, and also wooed the people during the 1960's where encouragement was needed in a dark time.

Written by Franklin Parada Jr.

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 8, 2017 at 7:09 AM

    I agree with what you said, in this post. I like how you pointed out that Captain America was made to be relatable, I never noticed that, but that's probably because he wasn't made to be relatable to me. I like how you inserted pictures that are relevant to your argument. The only thing I would have added is that you were talking about his pathos. This is not really necessary because someone could tell just by reading it, but that's just what I would've done.

    --Justin De Burgo

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  2. The Women's Rights Movement ENG101October 8, 2017 at 10:18 AM

    I like how you pointed out the correlation between Captain America's physical appearance and his patriotism. I saw it as a not-so-subtle way of implying that America as a nation gains strength through its collective patriotism. I can see how that would appeal emotionally to Americans during a tense time where nationalism on both sides of the cold war was at a high.

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  3. MarissaOctober 10, 2017 at 11:03 AM

    I like the way you dissected the comic and saw Captain America as a human being not merely a superhero who couldn't relate to us. He had feelings, flaws, and a true love for his country. The pictures attached help the viewer visualize these aspects of Captain America. Being able to relate with humans reading his comics helps his readers and fans connect with him more and make it easier for the author to relay messages through the comics to his viewers.

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