final draft

The Paper is the major course assignment. Students must choose a topic and develop a research-based, specific thesis. The Paper could be informative, persuasive, or analytical. The Paper should be 6-10 pages long and must include a Works Cited section. Citations should be in MLA parenthetical style unless the student is writing a paper in his or her field and that field uses a different style. Students will want to consult many primary, scholarly, and journalistic sources as they learn about their topic. Visuals may be included if appropriate, but are not required. The Paper will receive one letter grade that considers quality of writing (style and mechanics); quality and appropriate quantity of research and its smooth incorporation into the paper; content and presentation; and achievement of paper’s purpose (demonstrating the thesis).

Final Paper Topics:

The below suggestions and questions are general and are intended to help you to think about developing your own specific thesis. You may choose a topic based on the list below or choose something not listed, using the list as a resource of examples to help you understand the kinds of topics that are appropriate. Begin researching your topic early in the term.

· What do early Superman comic books reveal about American society or the views of the creators of Superman?

· Place Frederic Wertham’s critique of and fight against comic books in the historical and societal context of similar efforts aimed at various popular

media from the 1800s to today.

· Examine the evolution or history of treatment of race and ethnicity in superhero stories and how it reflects or challenges attitudes and changes in

society or in other media and art forms.

· Focusing on a particular character or taking a broader view of superhero stories, discuss vigilantes in superhero stories. You might examine this

from a legal or ethical perspective or think about what the vigilante theme in superhero stories indicates about attitudes toward the capacity of

government to protect people from criminals.

· What ethical questions are raised by superhero stories? Can you define right and wrong in the superhero world? Is there a philosopher or religious

tradition that applies?

· Explain The X-Men as commentary about racism or civil rights.

· You might choose a philosopher or other thinker and apply his or her philosophy to an analysis of a superhero character or series of stories.

· A literary analysis that explores a connection between a superhero character or storylines and themes and a work of literature.

· A psychological analysis of a character (maybe other than Batman, since that is an overused topic).

· An analysis of how superhero stories have changed over the years. Could be applied to a specific character and used to reflect on society.

· What is the influence of superheroes on children and adults exposed to superheroes as children? What can we learn about childhood and

American society by thinking about the popularity of comic book superheroes?

· Why did the superhero “begin” in America? How is the American superhero connected to earlier American myths and myths and heroes in other

countries and cultures?

· An exploration of the theme or psychology of vengeance, or guilt, or some other motivating factor in superhero stories.

· An analysis, psychological or literary, of secret identities and alter egos. Is Superman really Clark Kent, or is it the other way around?

· How superhero stories deal with the problem of evil.

· How might a good lawyer defend a particular super-villain? Think about due process, rights, etc. Or, consider how a prosecutor might make the

case against superheroes or a particular character.

· An explanation of how the Comics Code influenced superhero stories and the comic book industry.

· A legal analysis of the intellectual property rights of superhero creators that considers differences between business practices in comic books and other art forms.

· Superhero stories and their treatment of historical events, or a particular historical period or social issue, such as World War II, the War on Terror, crime, drug use, etc.

· An analysis of the comic book industry and the two main superhero companies, Marvel and DC, that explores the changing business model. Could also examine superhero role in the toy industry, the movie industry, etc.

· An examination of real-life superheroes. Approach could be psychological, sociological, legal.

· Theological and religious influences on or themes in superhero stories.

· How the (changing?) portrayal of women in superhero stories reflects society.

· An analysis of superheroes from a publisher other than the big two (DC and Marvel) or analysis of a particular graphic novel or series.

· Attitudes toward science in superhero stories.

· Morality and attitudes toward violence in superhero stories.

· Superhero fans and fandom.

· How did the primary audience for superhero stories change? How did the primary audience for superhero stories influence the way the stories

were told? What challenges did the story creators face?

· Why do people like superhero stories?

· What is the influence of mythological tales on superheroes?

· The influence on superhero stories by early pulp novels, or the influence on later science fiction movies and novels by early superhero comic

books.

· A comparison between different versions of the same character or same story, maybe that considers the time period in which the works were

produced or the differences between the form (graphic novel vs. a movie, for example).

· A detailed analysis of how a work of parody comments on the superhero genre.

· How the comic book form limited or dictated the way superhero stories were first told and how this ended up defining the superhero genre.

· An analysis of Watchmen could consider how it thwarts and/or employs superhero clichés. Or it could explain the structure of the book and the

structure’s meaning.

· An analysis of a prose fiction superhero story or novel.

· Compare a superhero comic book from the 1960s or 1970s with one from this year, with whatever focus or combination of analysis that fits your

thesis (structure, storytelling technique, art, character, etc.).

· Are superheroes (or superhero stories, or a particular character) fascistic? Authoritarian? Anti-establishment? Anarchistic?

Remember, these suggestions are intended only as starting points for your own research and thinking. You may choose something not listed here. You must develop an original, specific thesis.