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,...
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.
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