In an essay that is a minimum of 7-pages of text and a maximum of 12-pages of text and
that draws on expert opinions/outside evidence, analyze a superhero (or villain or team of
superheroes – but if you choose to take this approach, you need to clear it with me first) to
show what the superhero’s mythology is helping society to cope with or understand.
Suggested Heroes
 Superman
 The Hulk
 Captain America
 Iron Man
 Thor (interesting in his own way because he IS a mythic figure)
 Wonder Woman
 Green Lantern
 Green Arrow
 The Flash
 Spiderman
 Fantastic Four
 X-Men
 Wolverine
 Robin
 Hawkeye
Tasks
 Survey several iterations of the superhero you have chosen. Look at TV shows,
movies, webisodes. You can use animated and/or live-action versions. Be as
thorough as possible.
 Learn about the character(s) you’ve chosen. Look the character up on the DC or
Marvel site. Wikipedia’s site on comic book /superhero characters is usually quite
thorough, but still check for references. In particular, make sure you determine the
character’s fictional “origin” or “creation” story as well as the type of villain the
character most
 Brainstorm about the character(s). These questions should guide you:
o What mythological figure is the character you’ve chosen most like?
o How is this character’s story a myth story? (draw on
o What drives the character? How does what drives the character affect the
character’s choices?
o What type of hero is this character?
 the anti-hero (Holden Caufield), This is the guy your mother would not
want you or your sister to date. They are often graceless, inept, and
actually dishonest.
 the tragic hero (Oedipus, Macbeth), This is the guy whose bad end is a
result of flaws within himself.
 the romantic hero (Don Juan, James Bond), This is the guy the girls all
swoon over. He gets the girls, even when he doesn’t want to keep
them.
 the modern hero (Chuck Bartowski), This is the average guy who is put
in extraordinary circumstances and rises to the challenge.
 the Hemingway hero, This is the guy who has been in a war, drinks too
much, gets his girlfriend pregnant, and she dies. Or guys like him.
o Why is this character a hero? What makes him or her heroic?
o Does the hero’s journey fit Campbell’s description of the ‘monomyth cycle’?
What differences are there? Are those differences significant?
o Can the average person relate to this character? Why or why not?
o How does the character get along with other characters?
o What do you like most about this character?
o What do you dislike most about this character?
o Is the character ethical? Is he/she trying to do the right thing, but going about
it in the wrong way?
Write a 2-3 page character analysis (due April 7). In a character analysis, you need to:
1. Identify the type of character you’re dealing with
2. Describe the character
3. Discuss the primary conflict the character faces or deals with
Read the texts posted in the Research Essay topic box prior to our return to class on April
14. For each article, identify one concept or idea that will help you explain about the
character you’ve chosen.