The Symbolism Of Captain America

It would prove beneficial to ask the following question about Captain America; have his political values swayed in the many years since his activation? Famous for his patriotism and unwavering loyalty, thinking of Rogers as anything other than a textbook nationalist might come as a challenge to some. However, the ideas and beliefs of a nation or country gradually mature over time with the help of cultural diffusion, defiance of standards, etc. Captain America’s creation and symbolism played a large part in the Second World War, serving as a beacon of hope, but some aspects of American morals at this time differ from the more recent comics. For instance, in modern North America, racial and sexual freedoms thrive, whereas at the time of World

It comes as no surprise that the ideals of the nation would change drastically in that time. Comic books have come to accept and embrace more of the minorities that society did not accept as willingly in the nineteen-forties. As society became more open, government and political views transformed with it. Sixty years after the original birth of Captain America and after the destruction of the twin towers, a modern Rogers came onto the scene (Wanzo, 340). In today’s America, the word patriotism sometimes seems to bring up the image of anything but heroism. “The Captain America complex is afflicting our national judgment again, we should prepare for a long and divisive struggle that will leave domestic scars in families, educational institutions, churches, and synagogues (Jewett). The author likens Rogers’ patriotism to the need to exercise biblical authority in order to gain peace. This stance differs greatly from the ideals and beliefs held by the people of the Captain’s generation. The character himself seems to have become “just a comic book character” to modern society. Where the people of the Second World War found a beacon of hope, younger generations found little to nothing. Perhaps we can attribute this to the fact that in recent years, freedom has become expected and the word holds little meaning, whereas our elders had no

The public elected over ten new presidents in this time, and each president brought with them one to two terms of laws and regulations. The world fought numerous wars and some countries made life-long enemies in this time. Though seventy years does not seem like much in the scheme of things, even one year would supply an abundant number of variances when compared to the year before it. The government still had yet to pass the laws that would allow for the legitimization of gay marriages. At the time an amendment stating that a presidential candidate was only eligible for the election and completion of two terms in office did not exist. Laws even eradicated the draft mercilessly; making the likelihood of the military forcefully commandeering an American citizen against his/her will much less likely in war time. Captain America has developed along with the people of the United States to become more accepting, open, and ironically modern.
The evidence points to a noticeable change in Captain America’s political values, but only so far as the American people have adjusted over the past seventy or so years. With the introduction of new laws and peoples into the United States, the people enjoy more freedom and liberty than before. In today’s world Rogers still stands for freedom, but he protects vaster freedoms than ever