The Avengers: Avenging The American Identity
Kristen Von Ville
Professor Laura Beckweth
English 2367
February 11, 2015
Avenging the American Identity The superhero, Iron Man, once said, “If we can 't protect the Earth, you can be damn sure we 'll avenge it” (The Avengers). The Marvel movie, The Avengers, came out in 2012, which depicts a group of six mighty heroes who were brought together to fight a common threat, and they called themselves, The Avengers. In The Avengers the main characters and many scenes deliver different ideas of American identity and the American experience. Captain America sets the foundations when it comes to the view on patriotism, American history, and unity; Tony Stark practically single handedly changed modern technology, and because The Avengers group …show more content…
consist of people of all different backgrounds, they are a perfect example of diversity in today’s American modern society. When Loki and his Chitauri army were attacking the Earth, specifically America, The Avengers superheroes united to protect their planet. One hero’s name was Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America. He represented America originally in the 1940’s but was brought back to life after being frozen for many years. There was a conversation held between he and Agent Phil Coulson at the 29th minute of the movie that really stuck out. Agent Coulson had mentioned to Captain America that there had been some modifications made to Captain America’s uniform. In response, Captain America said, “Aren’t the stars and stripes a little old fashioned?“ (The Avengers). To that, Agent Coulson stated, ”Everything that is happening, things about to come to light, people might just need a little old fashioned” (The Avengers). They were both referring to the idea of what the stars and stripes represent. This conversation is an exceptional example of representing the true American patriotism and unity because it is talking about our nations flag. According to the lesson plan “Stars and Stripes Forever: Flag Facts for Flag Day,” the colors red, white, and blue all have specific meanings. Red represents hardiness and valor, blue speaks for vigilance, perseverance, and justice, and last but not least, white signifies purity and innocence. It just so happens that these words also describe Captain America.
America is known for having a key role in the advancement of modern technology, but they are also very reliant on it. At the 56th minute of the movie, Nick Fury and Clint Barton, known as Hawkeye, walked past a S.H.I.E.L.D agent at his computer and he was playing a video game. Later in the movie Tony Stark, who is referred to as Iron Man, noticed this same agent on his computer and called him out, “That man over there is playing Galaga. Thought we wouldn’t notice, but we did” (The Avengers). The significance of this example is used to show how video games are a prime example of modern technology and how it’s usage has boomed in the United States. According to the Big Fish gaming website, the article “2014 Global Gaming Stats: Who’s Playing What, and Why?” states that 58% of Americans play video games and as high as 51% of the average household owns at least one console. 77% of gamers play at least one hour a week and 36% even play games on their smart phone while on the go. If the numbers in usage don’t prove a point, then maybe the fact that “Revenue from gamer and game content is up and on par with the movie industry” (Galarneau), with an amount of $24 billion dollars a year. The statistics prove that America’s use of video games define the significance of gaming in our society and how dependent Americans have become on modern technology in their daily lives.
America is one big melting pot, made up of people with many different diversities and backgrounds.
In 1782, a motto became a part of the United States great seal and was eventually considered the national motto. Carried by the American Eagle, is a band that says, “E Pluribus Unum,” meaning “One From Many” or “One From Many Parts.” The phrase serves as a strong statement of the American persistence to form a united nation from an assortment of states. The Avengers group is a great example of this motto. Six different characters, all of different backgrounds come together to form one superhero group referred to as The Avengers. First there is Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, and he is a self described “playboy, genius, billionaire, and philanthropist” (Tony Stark). Secondly, there’s the hero Captain America. His name is Steve Rogers and he is a World War II vet who became an experiment and was enhanced to the peak of human physicality. Next is The Hulk, also known as Dr. Bruce Banner, and he is a genius scientist that was exposed to gamma radiation, causing him to become a green monster when mad. The Avengers also consist of Thor, an alien prince of Asgard and The Black Widow who is Russian. Her name is Natasha Romanoff and she is a highly trained S.H.I.E.L.D spy. Lastly, Clint Barton is referred to as Hawkeye, and he is a master archer working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Each member of the group has their own diverse strengths and stories to tell, but together they create the mighty superhero
team.
After analyzing the movie, The Avengers, it is evident that the superheroes and scenes accurately portray the American identity and experience. To some, the flag is just apiece of cloth, but like Captain America, it represents the foundation for America’s patriotism and respect for American history. On the other hand, Tony Stark is a well-renounced inventor. Known for his involvement with modern technology, the video gaming world relates and is taking over at incredible speeds within the modern technology world, which revolves around America. One characteristic that sets America from the rest is the amount of diversity that this country has to offer. The Avengers team relates to the motto “E Pluribus Unum,” because it is literally many different types of heroes uniting together to form one superhero team to save the earth. From an abundant amount of patriotism, to the creations of modern technology, and large diversity of population, America is definitely worthy of being avenged.
1035 words out of 1118.
Work Cited
“Stars and Stripes Forever: Flag Facts for Flag Day”. EDSITEment!. 29 September 2010. National Endowment for the Humanities. Web. 26 January 2015. http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/stars-and-stripes-forever-flag-facts-flag-day#sect-preparation
Galarneau, Lisa. “2014 Global Gaming Stats: Who’s Playing What, and Why?”. Big Fish. 16 January 2014. Web. 11 February 2015. http://www.bigfishgames.com/blog/2014-global-gaming-stats-whos-playing-what-and-why/
MacArthur, John D. Great Seal.com. 2014. The official history of the Great Seal. 26 January 2015. http://www.greatseal.com/mottoes/unum.html
The Avengers. Dir. Joss Whedon. The Marvel’s Studios and Paramount Pictures. 2012. DVD.
Professor Laura Beckweth
English 2367
February 11, 2015
Avenging the American Identity The superhero, Iron Man, once said, “If we can 't protect the Earth, you can be damn sure we 'll avenge it” (The Avengers). The Marvel movie, The Avengers, came out in 2012, which depicts a group of six mighty heroes who were brought together to fight a common threat, and they called themselves, The Avengers. In The Avengers the main characters and many scenes deliver different ideas of American identity and the American experience. Captain America sets the foundations when it comes to the view on patriotism, American history, and unity; Tony Stark practically single handedly changed modern technology, and because The Avengers group …show more content…
consist of people of all different backgrounds, they are a perfect example of diversity in today’s American modern society. When Loki and his Chitauri army were attacking the Earth, specifically America, The Avengers superheroes united to protect their planet. One hero’s name was Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America. He represented America originally in the 1940’s but was brought back to life after being frozen for many years. There was a conversation held between he and Agent Phil Coulson at the 29th minute of the movie that really stuck out. Agent Coulson had mentioned to Captain America that there had been some modifications made to Captain America’s uniform. In response, Captain America said, “Aren’t the stars and stripes a little old fashioned?“ (The Avengers). To that, Agent Coulson stated, ”Everything that is happening, things about to come to light, people might just need a little old fashioned” (The Avengers). They were both referring to the idea of what the stars and stripes represent. This conversation is an exceptional example of representing the true American patriotism and unity because it is talking about our nations flag. According to the lesson plan “Stars and Stripes Forever: Flag Facts for Flag Day,” the colors red, white, and blue all have specific meanings. Red represents hardiness and valor, blue speaks for vigilance, perseverance, and justice, and last but not least, white signifies purity and innocence. It just so happens that these words also describe Captain America.
America is known for having a key role in the advancement of modern technology, but they are also very reliant on it. At the 56th minute of the movie, Nick Fury and Clint Barton, known as Hawkeye, walked past a S.H.I.E.L.D agent at his computer and he was playing a video game. Later in the movie Tony Stark, who is referred to as Iron Man, noticed this same agent on his computer and called him out, “That man over there is playing Galaga. Thought we wouldn’t notice, but we did” (The Avengers). The significance of this example is used to show how video games are a prime example of modern technology and how it’s usage has boomed in the United States. According to the Big Fish gaming website, the article “2014 Global Gaming Stats: Who’s Playing What, and Why?” states that 58% of Americans play video games and as high as 51% of the average household owns at least one console. 77% of gamers play at least one hour a week and 36% even play games on their smart phone while on the go. If the numbers in usage don’t prove a point, then maybe the fact that “Revenue from gamer and game content is up and on par with the movie industry” (Galarneau), with an amount of $24 billion dollars a year. The statistics prove that America’s use of video games define the significance of gaming in our society and how dependent Americans have become on modern technology in their daily lives.
America is one big melting pot, made up of people with many different diversities and backgrounds.
In 1782, a motto became a part of the United States great seal and was eventually considered the national motto. Carried by the American Eagle, is a band that says, “E Pluribus Unum,” meaning “One From Many” or “One From Many Parts.” The phrase serves as a strong statement of the American persistence to form a united nation from an assortment of states. The Avengers group is a great example of this motto. Six different characters, all of different backgrounds come together to form one superhero group referred to as The Avengers. First there is Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, and he is a self described “playboy, genius, billionaire, and philanthropist” (Tony Stark). Secondly, there’s the hero Captain America. His name is Steve Rogers and he is a World War II vet who became an experiment and was enhanced to the peak of human physicality. Next is The Hulk, also known as Dr. Bruce Banner, and he is a genius scientist that was exposed to gamma radiation, causing him to become a green monster when mad. The Avengers also consist of Thor, an alien prince of Asgard and The Black Widow who is Russian. Her name is Natasha Romanoff and she is a highly trained S.H.I.E.L.D spy. Lastly, Clint Barton is referred to as Hawkeye, and he is a master archer working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Each member of the group has their own diverse strengths and stories to tell, but together they create the mighty superhero
team.
After analyzing the movie, The Avengers, it is evident that the superheroes and scenes accurately portray the American identity and experience. To some, the flag is just apiece of cloth, but like Captain America, it represents the foundation for America’s patriotism and respect for American history. On the other hand, Tony Stark is a well-renounced inventor. Known for his involvement with modern technology, the video gaming world relates and is taking over at incredible speeds within the modern technology world, which revolves around America. One characteristic that sets America from the rest is the amount of diversity that this country has to offer. The Avengers team relates to the motto “E Pluribus Unum,” because it is literally many different types of heroes uniting together to form one superhero team to save the earth. From an abundant amount of patriotism, to the creations of modern technology, and large diversity of population, America is definitely worthy of being avenged.
1035 words out of 1118.
Work Cited
“Stars and Stripes Forever: Flag Facts for Flag Day”. EDSITEment!. 29 September 2010. National Endowment for the Humanities. Web. 26 January 2015. http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/stars-and-stripes-forever-flag-facts-flag-day#sect-preparation
Galarneau, Lisa. “2014 Global Gaming Stats: Who’s Playing What, and Why?”. Big Fish. 16 January 2014. Web. 11 February 2015. http://www.bigfishgames.com/blog/2014-global-gaming-stats-whos-playing-what-and-why/
MacArthur, John D. Great Seal.com. 2014. The official history of the Great Seal. 26 January 2015. http://www.greatseal.com/mottoes/unum.html
The Avengers. Dir. Joss Whedon. The Marvel’s Studios and Paramount Pictures. 2012. DVD.