Think of all the movies you have seen in , say , the last two or three years? How many have been superhero blockbusters ? Avengers , Wonder Woman , Thor Ragnarok , Deadpool . And how about Netflex : Daredevil , Punisher . It is fair to say that our culture has been consumed with mythological heroes . Even the extremely popular dramas such as Game of Thrones and Hunger Games , which may not be listed as superheroes , are certainly heroes of a new mythology .
And illustrating and placing modern mythology within this context with other central issues of our time will be part of this paper . The essays we discussed in class by Natalie Hayes and Archie Bland establish this connection between the ancient world and mythology and our new growing cultural mythology . As mentioned , part of this assignment , in the beginning , will be presenting this connection with the ancient and the new . How are they the same ? How have they been transformed ? But this is just a starting point in this assignment .
We also have had several essays addressing the advances and hypocrisies in Wonder Woman and Thor : Ragnarock . And these are the larger questions concerning this essay :
1 . Is Wonder Woman a groundbreaking seminal work expressing a new feminism ? Or is it the same old tired clichés in new outfits , new formats ? Is it a true mythological representation of our times ?
2 . Is Thor a basic old school macho action hero of toxic masculinity or does he represent a in how current masculinity is represented ? Are we looking at a new age in how our culture defines manhood ?
3 . I am also open to suggestions on the superhero topic , but you need to request it in writing
Keep in mind there are ancient representations of women in ancient mythology , but it is suggested also to research her roots in post WWII comics and even a TV series in the late seventies . You as a researcher should also be aware of the changing forces in feminisms over the decades . As for Thor , he has much deeper roots in mythology that I expect you to explore for their consistencies and changes . Also feel free to mark the changes in Thor from the first to last in the extremely popular franchise .
While the larger focus of this paper is Wonder Woman and Thor , feel free to use other characters or shows that illustrate your theme .
This is a comparison contrast on many levels : the old , the new , and the changing interpretations of gender representations .
Don’t forget to use the library databases
(I will attach all the articles that we discussed in class for reference)