Who Does Superman Represent?: Identity, Ideology, and Gender in Superman

Year 2020, Issue: 66, 234 - 249, 26.10.2020

Murat Göç

Abstract

Despite the overwhelming influence of a plethora of superheroes, Superman is still an archetypal blueprint, a trailblazer, and a pioneer of American superheroes in the 20th century. For about a hundred years now, Superman has gained an immense popularity beyond the national borders of the United States. Obviously, the popularity of Superman profoundly relies on its success in representing American identity, ever-changing dynamics of American society and American ideology which remained almost unaltered in their core despite all the changes and transformations they have had to go through. Moreover, Superman is marked with Judeo-Christian mythology that lies at the heart of American culture while Superman, as a national character, is built upon American ideals such as individualism, civilization, nativism, and schizophrenic break-downs caused by American modernity. In this sense, Superman is an embodiment of American mythology that clearly represents the concerns, fears and hopes of American people. Superman also offers a brilliant portrait of American manhood, masculine ideology in America, and crises of masculinity. Superman’s masculinity doesn’t only depict American manhood at its best but also Superman’s conflicts with other men as well as his mostly male archenemies also evoke a discussion of the foundation of hegemonic masculiity and male hierarchy in America. In this regard, this paper aims to discuss the values, norms, ideologies of identity, power, and gender in light of the historical and social evolution of American society. It is considered to be of utmost importance that such a critical reading of Superman as the national emblem of American people will allow an understanding of other superheroes in a broader perspective in postwar America.

Keywords

superman, american culture, identity, ideology, gender

Superman Kimi Temsil Ediyor?: Superman’de Kimlik, İdeoloji ve Cinsiyet

Abstract

Günümüzde diğer süper kahramanların gölgesinde kalmış olsa da, Superman, süper kahraman hikâyelerinin ilk ve en önemli örneklerinden birisidir. Yüzyıla yaklaşan tarihi boyunca popülerliğini yalnızca Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nde değil dünyanın farklı coğrafyalarında da sürdürmeyi başarmıştır. Kuşkusuz bu popülerliğin ve etkinin en önemli nedeni, Superman’in Amerikan kimliğini, Amerikan toplumunu oluşturan dinamikleri ve yıllar içinde değişiklikler gösterse de temel saikleri aynı kalan ideolojik yapıları başarı ile temsil ediyor oluşudur. Superman, bir taraftan Amerikan uygarlığının kendini dayandırdığı Hristiyan mitolojisinin izlerini taşırken, bir yandan da Amerikan ulusunu inşa eden değerlerin, bireyciliğin, uygarlığın, yerlici tepkilerin ve modernitenin yol açtığı şizofrenik kırılmanın temsilcisidir. Bu bağlamda, Superman Amerikan mitolojisinin vücuda gelmiş halidir, Amerikan halkının endişelerini, korkularını ve umutlarının net bir yansımasıdır. Superman, aynı zamanda, Amerikan erkeklik ideolojisinin ve bu ideolojinin yaşadığı krizlerin de temsilcisidir. Superman’in temsil ettiği erkeklik yalnızca Amerika’da erkeklik olgusuna dair ipuçları vermekle kalmaz, Superman’in düşmanı olan diğer erkeklerle olan ilişkisi, erkekler arası hiyerarşinin ve hegemonik mücadelenin inşasını da başarı ile yansıtır. Bu bağlamda, bu makale Superman’in temsil ettiği değerlerin, ideolojilerin, toplumsal cinsiyet görünümlerinin temel unsurlarını, Amerikan toplumunun tarihsel ve toplumsal gelişimi ışığında okumayı hedeflemektedir. Böylesi bir eleştirel okumanın, Superman’in savaş sonrası Amerikan kültüründe sayısı ve çeşitliliği artan süper kahraman hikâyelerinin de anlaşılmasına yardımcı olacağı düşünülmektedir. 

Keywords

Amerikan kültürü, ideoloji, kimlik, toplumsal cinsiyet

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