Comparing Lois Lane's 'Superman And The Dam'
Critical Analysis of Superman and the Dam
Throughout the many years of Superman comics, Lois Lane’s presence in them is a constant. While her personality varies over time, looking at the earliest version of Lois Lane we see that her characterization is quite progressive and whether intentional or not, Siegel and Schuster wrote a feminist character for the time they lived in. As they made Lois a determined, career-driven woman who strived to be taken seriously by her boss, she stood out against a sea of women who were used only as plot devices. This is no different in “Superman and the Dam” (Action Comic No. 5), originally published October 1938, in which Lois proves once more that she can be a better reporter than a man.
The Story begins when the editor of the Daily Star receives a telegraph that a huge downpour has caused the dam in Valleyho to start cracking, putting the whole town in danger. Once again the chief passes Lois over for a story again, in favor of Clark. Despite her being right in front of him, the chief demands she look for Clark to …show more content…
cover the dam. When he’s nowhere to be found, Lois asks why she can’t take the story and the chief states that the assignment is “too important” and “no job for a girl”. Fed up with this line of thinking, Lois plots to take the story for herself anyway. When she runs into Clark in the building lobby she gives him a false story and sends him off on a wild goose chase. By the time he realizes he’s been duped, Lois is already on a train to Valleyho and the chief fires Clark on the spot. Clark becomes Superman and races to catch up with Lois, saving the train from a fallen bridge on his way and physically supporting the dam as best he can as he waits for the town to evacuate. Meanwhile, Lois arrives on the scene and immediately notices that she is the only person not fleeing town, but instead heading right into the danger. She attempts to get a ride from a cabbie, but he is also on his way out of town and lets her borrow his taxi. Lois takes off toward the breaking dam to finally get her story, but is foiled by the bursting waters of the dam and faces drowning. Superman can no longer hold back the dam as it completely breaks open, but he is able to save Lois in the knick of time and change the direction of the flood so that Valleyho is saved from the flood of water.
This is a simple story on the surface: Superman vs. the dam. However, reading this comic, one can see the deeper themes, such as the undercurrent of feminism in the writer’s portrayal of Lois Lane. The year was 1938. Women had only the right to vote for eighteen years. During the Great Depression, the time in which this comic was written, most women stayed in the home as house wives. Work was hard to come by and this was seen as their proper place as they would be stealing jobs from men if they entered the workforce. The percentage of workingwomen increased during this time period as more women were forced to work in order to support their families, but even these women were expected to only have certain jobs that were considered suitable for women. Women struggled to be treated as equal citizens when trying to qualify for new federal programs. National government set the minimum wage lower for women and New Deal unemployment agencies gave jobs almost exclusively to men. These hard times reinforced gender roles rather than subvert them, as the idea that a woman’s place was in the home was strengthened. However in the earliest Superman comics we see Lois working as a reporter for a newspaper, not a secretary, and a reporter that compares to her male counterparts. Time and time again Lois has proven herself to be a quality reporter in these stories, a better reporter than Clark Kent and yet she still gets assigned fluff pieces over the hard-hitting news she wants to write about. This doesn’t stop her from fighting for what she wants, to be taken seriously and to be treated as an equal. She always determined to do whatever it takes to get the most, hard-hitting story, even if it means ditching Clark Kent or outright tricking him. Siegel and Schuster may not have considered themselves feminists, but they were certainly ahead of their time in their depiction of Lois. This notion that certain jobs are only appropriate for certain genders is something women still face today. There are still many careers that are dominated by a mainly male workforce, in addition to certain careers that are seen as women’s work. Even when women make it to the top of a mainly male workforce, they are almost always paid less. Looking at this story as well as other Superman comics, one can see that Lois is a very career-driven woman, but she constantly held back by her gender.
Yes, Lois ends up getting herself in trouble and is saved my Superman, who arrives on the seen of the busted damn right on time. However, it is important to note that Lois isn’t the typical “damsel in distress”. Being Superman’s “girlfriend” isn’t her only character trait. She’s not just a pretty face, but and intelligent, interesting female character with a personality, even standing up to some of the strong female characters of today. Lois is street smart and cunning. She’ll do whatever it takes to get the story, even if it means risking her life. When she arrives in Valleyho, in spite of the fact that everyone is fleeing the area, she heads straight toward the danger. In hindsight it wasn’t the best decision, but it’s a great example of Lois’s resolve to get the best and latest news, and the tenacity to prove her worth as a reporter, qualities that make her such a great character.
Lois is a woman who knows what she wants and goes for it, not just in her career, but with Superman too.
While it may not be traditional for a woman living in 1938 to be forward with a man, Lois never hesitates to tell Superman just how she feels. After Superman saves her from the waters of the dam, she outright kisses him and confesses her love. Deliberate or not, it’s appropriate that in the issue about a breaking dam, Lois should become so fed-up that she decides to break off on her own. Reading the story, one can create parallels between Lois and the flooding waters of the dam: society is constantly holding her back, but Lois is a force of nature. Her ambitions and passions can’t be stifled, as she continues to fight against the constraints placed on all women of the time. She is one variable that Superman cannot control, much like the dam, which he could not stop from bursting, but can only divert the
waters.
Siegel and Schuster were progressive in many of their other beliefs so it is possible they supported more equality for women and they wrote Lois as a strong, ambitious woman who constantly fights to be given the work she think she deserves, not the work society says is for a woman. During the time of 1938 when gender-roles were being cemented even further, this was an especially progressive characterization for a female character. Lois was portrayed as a “superwoman” of the time, so it makes sense that the man for her is more than just a man.
Throughout the many years of Superman comics, Lois Lane’s presence in them is a constant. While her personality varies over time, looking at the earliest version of Lois Lane we see that her characterization is quite progressive and whether intentional or not, Siegel and Schuster wrote a feminist character for the time they lived in. As they made Lois a determined, career-driven woman who strived to be taken seriously by her boss, she stood out against a sea of women who were used only as plot devices. This is no different in “Superman and the Dam” (Action Comic No. 5), originally published October 1938, in which Lois proves once more that she can be a better reporter than a man.
The Story begins when the editor of the Daily Star receives a telegraph that a huge downpour has caused the dam in Valleyho to start cracking, putting the whole town in danger. Once again the chief passes Lois over for a story again, in favor of Clark. Despite her being right in front of him, the chief demands she look for Clark to …show more content…
cover the dam. When he’s nowhere to be found, Lois asks why she can’t take the story and the chief states that the assignment is “too important” and “no job for a girl”. Fed up with this line of thinking, Lois plots to take the story for herself anyway. When she runs into Clark in the building lobby she gives him a false story and sends him off on a wild goose chase. By the time he realizes he’s been duped, Lois is already on a train to Valleyho and the chief fires Clark on the spot. Clark becomes Superman and races to catch up with Lois, saving the train from a fallen bridge on his way and physically supporting the dam as best he can as he waits for the town to evacuate. Meanwhile, Lois arrives on the scene and immediately notices that she is the only person not fleeing town, but instead heading right into the danger. She attempts to get a ride from a cabbie, but he is also on his way out of town and lets her borrow his taxi. Lois takes off toward the breaking dam to finally get her story, but is foiled by the bursting waters of the dam and faces drowning. Superman can no longer hold back the dam as it completely breaks open, but he is able to save Lois in the knick of time and change the direction of the flood so that Valleyho is saved from the flood of water.
This is a simple story on the surface: Superman vs. the dam. However, reading this comic, one can see the deeper themes, such as the undercurrent of feminism in the writer’s portrayal of Lois Lane. The year was 1938. Women had only the right to vote for eighteen years. During the Great Depression, the time in which this comic was written, most women stayed in the home as house wives. Work was hard to come by and this was seen as their proper place as they would be stealing jobs from men if they entered the workforce. The percentage of workingwomen increased during this time period as more women were forced to work in order to support their families, but even these women were expected to only have certain jobs that were considered suitable for women. Women struggled to be treated as equal citizens when trying to qualify for new federal programs. National government set the minimum wage lower for women and New Deal unemployment agencies gave jobs almost exclusively to men. These hard times reinforced gender roles rather than subvert them, as the idea that a woman’s place was in the home was strengthened. However in the earliest Superman comics we see Lois working as a reporter for a newspaper, not a secretary, and a reporter that compares to her male counterparts. Time and time again Lois has proven herself to be a quality reporter in these stories, a better reporter than Clark Kent and yet she still gets assigned fluff pieces over the hard-hitting news she wants to write about. This doesn’t stop her from fighting for what she wants, to be taken seriously and to be treated as an equal. She always determined to do whatever it takes to get the most, hard-hitting story, even if it means ditching Clark Kent or outright tricking him. Siegel and Schuster may not have considered themselves feminists, but they were certainly ahead of their time in their depiction of Lois. This notion that certain jobs are only appropriate for certain genders is something women still face today. There are still many careers that are dominated by a mainly male workforce, in addition to certain careers that are seen as women’s work. Even when women make it to the top of a mainly male workforce, they are almost always paid less. Looking at this story as well as other Superman comics, one can see that Lois is a very career-driven woman, but she constantly held back by her gender.
Yes, Lois ends up getting herself in trouble and is saved my Superman, who arrives on the seen of the busted damn right on time. However, it is important to note that Lois isn’t the typical “damsel in distress”. Being Superman’s “girlfriend” isn’t her only character trait. She’s not just a pretty face, but and intelligent, interesting female character with a personality, even standing up to some of the strong female characters of today. Lois is street smart and cunning. She’ll do whatever it takes to get the story, even if it means risking her life. When she arrives in Valleyho, in spite of the fact that everyone is fleeing the area, she heads straight toward the danger. In hindsight it wasn’t the best decision, but it’s a great example of Lois’s resolve to get the best and latest news, and the tenacity to prove her worth as a reporter, qualities that make her such a great character.
Lois is a woman who knows what she wants and goes for it, not just in her career, but with Superman too.
While it may not be traditional for a woman living in 1938 to be forward with a man, Lois never hesitates to tell Superman just how she feels. After Superman saves her from the waters of the dam, she outright kisses him and confesses her love. Deliberate or not, it’s appropriate that in the issue about a breaking dam, Lois should become so fed-up that she decides to break off on her own. Reading the story, one can create parallels between Lois and the flooding waters of the dam: society is constantly holding her back, but Lois is a force of nature. Her ambitions and passions can’t be stifled, as she continues to fight against the constraints placed on all women of the time. She is one variable that Superman cannot control, much like the dam, which he could not stop from bursting, but can only divert the
waters.
Siegel and Schuster were progressive in many of their other beliefs so it is possible they supported more equality for women and they wrote Lois as a strong, ambitious woman who constantly fights to be given the work she think she deserves, not the work society says is for a woman. During the time of 1938 when gender-roles were being cemented even further, this was an especially progressive characterization for a female character. Lois was portrayed as a “superwoman” of the time, so it makes sense that the man for her is more than just a man.