Superman: the American nation and the never-ending struggle

Abstract

Práce se zabývá Supermanem jakožto moderním americkým mýtem; soustřeďuje se jak na jeho vznik, tak i vývoj po více než sedmdesát let. V úvodu jsou stručně popsány cíle práce, stejně jako problémy s uchopením tak obsáhlého všezahrnujícího fenoménu. Obtíže spočívají zejména v samotné selekci materiálu. Při tomto výběru se kladl důraz především na co největší koncentraci mýtického elementu a obecnou relevantnost v kontextu americké kulturní identity. Rovněž je nastíněna struktura celého textu.

In the broadest of terms, this paper focuses on Superman as a modern American secular myth. It was my aim to trace the various sources from which the comic book hero has drawn and show the Man of Steel as a mythological figure transcending the confines of the trivial genre. In discussing the mythological element of Superman, I attempted to point out both differences and similarities with ancient myths as well as the Judeo-Christian religious tradition. In addition, Roland Barthes' Mythologies also served at various instances as a tool in determining whether the evolution of the comic book genre retained its mythical mode of communication. The thesis also focuses on the Man of Steel's position in the pantheon of American heroes. I have endeavored to find what it is that makes the fictitious superhero so appealing to readers in the United States as well as abroad. Furthermore, emphasis is put on the changes in the Superman myth throughout its more than seventy-year history. For this purpose, I place the developments in the comic book saga into a wider historical context, since real world events have greatly influenced the topics and themes of the stories as well as the portrayals of the main characters. While primary emphasis predominantly remains on the literary progression of the superhero canon, a basic...