Heroes and Superheroes in U.S. Popular Culture

3 credits · Undergraduate credit

We will explore heroes and superheroes in novels, comics, television, and film to understand changing notions of U.S. nationalism from 1840 to the present. Popular culture often used heroic (and superheroic) figures as stand-ins for U.S. ambitions, to rationalize the gender and racial status quo, and to encourage audience emulation.