Reflective Essay #11

Tori Beaty

INTG 323

Reflection #11

27 April 2012

Reflective Essay #11

1.      I came into the class having heard Green Lantern’s name quite often, but never actually knowing anything about him.  We didn’t cover him extensively in class, but our class discussions got me interested in him so I did a lot of out of class research on him.  I honestly think he may have become one of my favorite superheroes.  I found his origin story fascinating and the fact that there are multiple Green Lanterns throughout the universe puts an interesting spin on the entire concept of superheroes.  I also like that a Green Lantern’s power comes from his mental strength since he or she can create anything he or she can imagine.  I think Green Lantern’s story can show readers that everyone has their own inner strength and must find/use their own strengths in order to be successful.

2.      I think my preconceived ideas about Batman have definitely changed. Before the class, I saw him as a pompous, selfish, and cruel character.  He definitely isn’t anywhere near my favorite hero, but after studying his origin story and seeing how devoted himself to justice, I have a greater appreciation for him as a hero.  I still don’t completely agree with some of his tactics and I don’t especially care for his personality, but I can at least understand why he is the way he is.

3.      The readings have really taught me that there is a place for every type of person.  I have always known that I am quiet, shy and hesitant to state my opinion.  I’m not the best at certain subject and often overanalyze things, but I’m also a hard worker and pay great attention to detail.  After learning about different heroes, I’ve come to understand that every person is going to have flaws, but those flaws make them who they are and often enhance his or her strengths.  In my situation, my being quiet allows me to be more of a listener and take in more information.  Once I have the information I tend to think about it and have the ability to analyze it in a way to eventually make the most logical decisions.  Overall, I’ve really learned that a person does not need to change, but rather, learn to how properly utilize his or her specific traits.

4.      I wish we would have spent a little more time discussing superheroes/mutants as compared to people with disabilities.  I think it was interesting to see how the heroes we were learning about could directly relate to a group of people in our society.  I also thought it was interesting to look at heroism as a negative and something that some people might not necessarily desire.  It really showed me that everything in life is going to have its negatives and that we should not judge someone based on the life we assume he or she lives.  I don’t really know much about superheroes, but I wish we would have talked about Jack Bauer (from 24) because based on every definition of a superhero; he would have fit the description.  I thought he would have been especially important to discuss during the morality section because he tends to use torture and often goes outside the law in order to yield results.

5.      This class has helped me learn about good citizenship because it has shown me that there actually isn’t a strict definition of right and wrong.  One person might think one action is the best while another might think differently.  I have come to understand that I will not be able to always make decisions that will be correct in the eyes of every person, but I will need to make decisions that seem correct based on my own personal moral code.  If a person can find a moral code to believe in and stick to it, at least he or she has some sort of guidelines to live by.  I think that Major Might is the best model for good citizenship. During his time as a hero he did everything he could in order to create a better society, but once society shunned him, he knew when it was time to step back and let other heroes take over.  However, he was still willing to work hard to support his son, but also stand up for his beliefs (especially when he rejected a better paying job because he did not agree with his boss).  In the end he was also willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so his son could eventually save the world.  I’m not as amazed by his actions as I am by the fact that he did them without expecting any kind of recognition of benefit from them.  He knew what had to be done, he did it, and then moved on with his life.