The major argument made in the Captain America text is that Captain America, as a comic book character geared specifically toward American boys, should represent the idealistic patriotism and masculine fearlessness that existed, though sometimes infrequently, throughout the Cold War . Physically speaking, Captain America’s image was that of a man who barbarically attacked America’s arch nemesis the Communists, all while emblematically donning the star-spangled banner and wielding an indestructible shiel d with an unmistakable American star on the front. The argument made here was that American boys, at the ripe, young age somewhere between peak imagination and adolescent stubbornness, could be easily influenced by this symbolic, distinctly American, role model. Chances are, many children did not fully grasp the profound threat, both physically and ideologically , that America faced at the time. Yet, it is also probably safe to say that they frequently hear d their parents anxiousl...
The success of the Captain America comic series and the rise in popularity of television during the 1950s, Marvel decided to turn the popular comic into a reoccurring television show. In the first episode of the show, Steve Rogers, a patriot who was too scrawny to enlist, drank a concoction that turned him into a super soldier that fights for the free world. His costume is composed of the colors red, white, and blue, which are also the colors of the American flag. This appeals to patriots because he is wearing the colors of their country. Marvel also tries to appeal to the average citizen when they introduce Captain America’s sidekick, Bucky. Bucky is a soldier who is stationed at the same base as Steve Rogers. One night, he walks in on Rogers changing from his Captain America outfit and so he joined Captain America in fighting crime. This appeals to the common citizen because it could have been anyone stationed at that base that became his sidekick. The music that Marvel chose for the show also appealed to people’s emotions. They chose a theme song that contains people chanting in unison, which suggests unity in a time when our country needed to come together. All of these things combined creates a strong appeal for American patriots and those who wanted to unite under one flag.
I agree with all of the appeals to pathos that you pointed out. One that I did not think of right away was the theme song chanting. Merely listening to the theme song, it does not seem to include a heavy amount of pathos however your analysis makes a great point that the unison appeals to patriotism. I also enjoy how you pointed out that the comic book appeals to the ordinary citizen, making the story more relatable which then therefore makes the reader more invested into the story.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you note the colors of the costume as an appeal to pathos. I think it's common to see this trend of red, white, and blue shades among the comic-book heroes, which is revealing of the overt intent to encourage patriotism in the child and young-adult audiences. The theme song is also a common appeal to pathos. Generally, music evokes joy, thus enabling the musical advertisement to access and affect the audience's subconscious.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job covering all of the aspects of pathos in this text! Music is so important to pathos, so I am really glad you mentioned the theme song. The theme song definitely represents unity, so this is essential in connecting to the emotions of the audience because it motivates and inspires in hard times.
ReplyDelete