If taking this approach, what does that text say about our culture? How does that text help explain superheroes’ role in shaping our culture? What are the effects of that product? How has it (and superheroes) made us who we are?

In addition to providing you with an opportunity to wrap-up some of the ideas about our culture that you’ve been developing all semester long, this assignment will introduce you to the fundamentals of conducting research and incorporating that research into your essay following the Modern Language Association’s guidelines. All of your essays thus far have concerned American culture and values, and their effects. For this assignment, you will need to broaden both your thinking and your writing, for I’m now requiring you to incorporate outside material into your argument. Making use of at least seven outside sources, write an essay focusing on Morrison’s claim that superheroes bring “new ways to see and hear and think about everything” (xiv). How have superheroes affected our thinking or our behavior? How does your research make Morrison’s statement (or even his whole book) more readily understandable? Some points to consider: What role did superheroes play in shaping our nation during the twentieth century? What is their impact today? Two possible approaches to this prompt: 1) You may want to examine superheroes in relation to a medium (film, TV, videogames) or a theme/subject matter (gender roles, race, sports). What impact have superheroes had on it? Think of this approach as being “Superheroes and X,” or “Superheroes’ Effect on X.” Or 2) You may want to use a particular superhero text (whether it be a character, film, or TV show) as a sort of lens through which to look while answering this question. If taking this approach, what does that text say about our culture? How does that text help explain superheroes’ role in shaping our culture? What are the effects of that product? How has it (and superheroes) made us who we are?

A successful essay will assert an argument regarding Morrison’s claim that superheroes have affected our culture and support that argument with information gained from sources outside of his book. A less accomplished essay may merely report on or summarize the outside sources, or fail to adequately address the question of superheroes’ influence that underlies Morrison’s book.

The minimum required length is 2000 words. Your mandatory works cited page does not apply toward this word count. Your works cited page must include at least seven secondary sources. Please follow MLA guidelines in composing your works cited page (see RW and UR for models) and include at least one each of the following source types: a book, a scholarly journal, a newspaper, and a magazine. Note that the periodicals may be in print or electronic formats.

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