Like Spiderman, Kwezi is also prone to being short sighted and can be impulsive - a quality often associated with youth (Mkize [sa]:[sp]).
While many American superheroes are known to hide their true identity, there are a few who enjoy being in the limelight. Like Tony Stark in Ironman, Kwezi is arrogant and wants people to know who he is and does not hide his face. However, his motivation for helping people is not only to get famous (SmithsonianX 2015:[Sp]).
Kwezi is easy to identify with as a young adult living in an urban space because the youth in Johannesburg struggles to balance between their culture, heritage and the contemporary digital world. Since 1994, South Africa has increasingly been exposed to American pop culture media which
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The poster (figure 2) foreshadows that Kwezi will mature and take on the responsibility of a superhero. The circle on Kwezi’s necklace could link to the Jung’s archetype of the Self. Jung often represented this archetype with a circle, square or a mandala (Archetypes 2015). This archetype is the union of the unconscious and conscious mind (Archetypes 2015).
Kwezi’s character fits the ‘S-Archetype’ of a superhero. As Lee (2013:41) explains, superheroes have two main archetypes: the S-type (Superman-type) and the B-type (Batman-type). Kwezi wears bright primary colours. His normal outfit (and his superhero costume as seen in the poster) puts him in this category. According to Lee (2013:41) S-type heroes are straightforward about their intentions. Kwezi’s body language is confident, he stands erect and moves ‘smoothly’ “…with no furtive movements” showing that Kwezi does not hide who he is (Lee
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Heroes are associated with martyrdom and rises above ego (The Archetypes of the Hero's Journey 2015). Kwezi, however, is still egoistic and works to fuel his ego by managing public perception (Kwezi [sa]:[sp]). Christopher Vogler states that a hero has to deal with inner conflict (The Archetypes of the Hero's Journey 2015). In the case of Kwezi, he needs to confront his past, his family to accept who he really is (Kwezi [sa]:[sp]).
At this stage of the story, Kwezi fits Jung’s archetype ‘shadow’. The shadow is part of the unconscious mind and is made up of suppressed desires and shortcomings (The Archetypes of the Hero's Journey 2015). Kwezi’s unwillingness to face his past has not been explained yet but it can be linked to the reason behind Kwezi’s desire to be popular. Kwezi’s mentor – Mohau – tries to peel away his persona and ego in order to reveal Kwezi’s ‘true self’ (Kwezi [sa]:[sp]). The Self is also classified as an archetype which is the convergence of the unconscious and conscious (The Archetypes of the Hero's Journey
A hero can be anyone. The modern day hero does not need physical strength or have super human powers, nor do they need to be of royal decent or obtain a high-flying place in the government. Bernard Malamud explains, “Without heroes, we are all plain people, and don't know how far we can go,” suggesting that heroes are simply role-models we use to learn from. The first introduction to the concept of the Heroes Journey was through Joseph Campbell. In his book ‘A Hero with a Thousand Faces,’ he brings to light the idea of studying the human impulse to create stories that draw on universal themes which is highlighted in his theory of the Heroes Journey. He explains, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself,” which demonstrates the idea of portraying a hero as someone who gives without the need for repayment. Similarly the founder of analytical psychology, Carl Jung, talks about heroes in his essay ‘A Study in the Process of Individuation,’ through his concept of introversion and extraversion. According to him, archetypes are distinctive universal psychic temperaments, which form the substrate from which the basic themes of human life a...
Humanity has created this “universal story” of what a hero is, or at least the myth of it, time and again. Different tasks and encounters with a variety of villains all lead the hero to the prize, to a new life (Seger). This person deemed the hero is as ordinary as the next but what makes them different is the drastic test that they must face. Individuals admire this character because the hero stands for something, something bigger than themselves. Whether it be the compassionate act of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games or the death of the oldest brother in Brother Bear, as an outsider, an individual sees the human side of these heroes and relates. Connor Lassiter from Unwind by Neal Shusterman is an ideal example of the myth due to the
" The hero within: Six archetypes we live by.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman! In 1938, Action Comics #1, released the first Superman comic to the public. Superman, also known as Kal El, has shown many different powers since his first debut in 1938. This paper will discuss various topics about four of his major powers and explain why they are all impossible for anyone to achieve in real life. Superman’s four major powers that will be discussed in this paper are X-ray vision, being able to fly, super strength, and invulnerability.
A hero is a character, who is endowed with great courage and strength. A hero’s character is portrayed as a noble, gallant, and even infallible human being, who is close to perfection but for a fatal flaw. In medieval Europe, chivalry, loyalty, faith, and honor were very important characteristics traits thus a medieval hero usually adheres to a strict code of knightly conduct, which requires his absolute loyalty to his king, refusal to break his oaths, and the defense of the helpless. The hero is on a journey of self-discovery and while on this journey he faces many challenges that he must endure in order to prevail.
The antithesis of Batman - The Joker, a terrorist and deranged killer. He is madness incarnate. However there is a profound simplicity, a calm at times within The Jokers brutal character “Why so serious?” (Joker The Dark Knight). The character treads a fine line between insanity and great brilliance. It is this menacing attitude that makes him such a prolific villain, he wants nothing but to be “an agent of chaos” (Joker The Dark Knight). He stands for anarchy and madness, the creation of a changing society post 9/11, a terrorist threatening to voice out and defy the government going against the dominant system. He sets about knocking out the system from the ground up, one by one creating fear and anarchy “the only sensible way to live in this world is without rules”...
On one end of the spectrum lays Superman, an alien who from birth is comparable to god, and on the opposite side lays Lex Luthor, a genius human who comes from nothing and created a financial empire. Superman
Keung has a few weaknesses. He is easily frightened, stubborn and addicted to opium. Even though Keung is 15 years old, he is frightened when he travels alone. Of course, he will be nervous, but he is petrified. "He shivered. In spite of his fifteen years, he felt terribly young and afraid" (pg. 46) all of us have a weakness, but to get rid of the weakness itself is not to get rid of it. You have to be brave, caring, clever and ambitious. Bend that weakness to
Society favors the outlaw hero because we relate with that character more. We see ourselves more so in the outlaw hero than in the official hero. The outlaw hero has the child like talents that most of us wish we had as adults. To civilians it may seem that the outlaw hero lives more of a fantasy life that we all wish to have. Superman’s image has remained unchanged over the years. A blue suit accompanied by boots, a belt and cape have always been the Superman style, along with the Superman emblem on his chest. Superman’s real name is Kal-El, a descendant of the Kryptonian family of the house of El, with his father known as Jor-El and mother Lara. Krypton was discovered to be in the last seconds of life due to the coming supernova of its sun by Kal-El’s father. The other members of Krypton did not believe Jor-El could not tell others of his answers and examinations. Jor-El promised that neither he nor his wife would leave and with every last possible choice eliminated, Jor-El would send his newborn son to the planet Earth. Kal-El then crash landed into the care of Jonathan and Martha Kent, two farmers in Kansas. He then adopted the Kent family name,...
According to Bonnie Tyler, a hero is a man that needs to be strong and fast, straight out of battle, and have a legendary persona about them. Traditionally in mythology, heroes are characterized by their strength, physical prowess, intelligence, cunningness, and success on the battlefield. In addition, most heroes go on some type of quest or adventure, often accompanied by a trusty sidekick to rein them in. The hero’s journey archetype is often divided into three parts: the beginning setup and departure, a period of adaptation and conflict, and the resolution where the hero returns home victorious (Bronzite). Upon this journey the hero will be forced into action, undergo many tribulations, and
The word hero as defined as an “individual who has the courage of conviction to perform feats that benefit the general populace, acts as a soldier of virtue, and has an altruistic spirit that urges him or her to act against evil and defend the greater good at all costs, even sacrificing his own well-being or life.” (Harrison 2). Although heroes can come in any shape and size they are commonly found in stories we read, movies we watch, or people we look up to. We do not think about it much but even our own life is made up of many hero’s journeys. We never realize that our hardships and how we overcome them is exactly what a Hero’s Journey is about and why we relate to and enjoy these stories so much. I will be going into the depths of a Hero’s
“But the life of a superhero is fraught with stress: Saving the city (or planet) from nefarious plots of evil-do-ers; and the hassles of daily life…” (deLusé 187). Superheroes are known to save mankind and defend the Earth, but what most people do not consider is the amount of stress these heroes deal with on a daily basis. The obstacles they must overcome include coping with their alter ego and superhero stress, keeping a secret identity and surpassing the expectations set for them.
From the beginning of time, mythology has appeared to be one key method of understanding life’s confusions and battles. Within these myths lies a hero. From myth to myth and story to story, heroes experience what may be called a struggle or a journey, which lays down their plot line. Bearing tremendous strength, talent, and significant admiration, a hero holds what is precious to their audience, heroism. Over time however, no matter the hero, the hero’s role remains indistinguishable and identical to the position of every other hero.
James Whitlark’s article, “Superheroes as Dream Doubles” articulates “that contemporary superheroes are more psychologically complex” (108). As a result of this complexity the superheroes show double identities the person “.... is divided into two selves: one ineffectual, the other heroic” (107). This idea of superheroes with dual identities is prevalent in “Heat” an episode from the Smallville television series. Throughout the episode the viewers see the main character, Clark Kent struggle with controlling his unconscious thoughts which are brought on by Desirée Atkins who also happens to have a doubling side. Though hers is predominantly evil. Throughout the episode the viewers get to watch Desirée try to spread her evil ways on Clark and it is up to him to be able to control his unconscious thoughts and expose Desirée’s secret.
The cracks within Okonkwo's character are not so much external as internal, manifestations of those aspects of his being that have been his greatest strengths: acting without thinking; never showing any emotion besides anger; inflexibility; fear of being perceived as weak and, therefore, womanly. Slowly, these characteristics that have served Okonkwo so well in the past, begin to alter the direction of his life. The first such incident occurs when Okonkwo accidentally breaks the W...