The Progressive School Vol 02 Issue 04

have fantastic abilities. It stresses on
acceptance without fear and integration
of those who are different from us into
our lives, and as a part of our community.
Empathy, tolerance, diversity and
inclusion can be discussed in the class
using the example of Marvel’s X-men.
And of course, I would be committing
comic-fan blasphemy if I do not mention
the friendly neighbourhood Spiderman
who, for all purposes, is just a kid, a little
guy trying to make a difference.
Superheroes have
weaknesses too, but they
chose to do the right thing
Each and every superhero has some
weakness which can be exploited, and
in most cases is, by the evil archenemy.
However, despite their weaknesses and
short-comings they still do the right
thing. Captain America stands against
his friend Bucky (Winter Soldier) and
later Ironman, for what he believed is
the right thing. Hulk cannot control
his anger but he is able to channelize
it to save people. Marvel, through its
flawed set of superheroes like Glamora,
Racoon, Thor and the Scarlet Witch has
given us something more believable
and thus relatable. These are characters
with human flaws of pride, jealously,
vengeance, greed and anger. Yet, they
rise about it.
Children could be, in higher
grades, provided the timeline of the
Superhero to understand and discuss the
circumstances under which they become
a superhero. This will allow them to see
that it is the choices made by individuals
that made them a superhero.
Superheroes can be
defeated and they die too
Marvel through Avengers: Infinity
War I has shocked the fans by the
sheer number of Superhero deaths on
one film. An important lesson on how
mortal and how human these powerful
beings are. They can be defeated and
they too can die. With one film, Marvel
brought everyone together to mourn their
favourite Superhero death and in the
expectation of their return in the second
Avengers: Infinity War II movie.
Children, here, can be reminded
that no matter how confident one is,
caution and care are also virtues to
be had. One can never be certain and
hence one must be prepared for all
eventualities. Such situations also
provided a great opportunity for ‘What
if’ scenarios. Avid comic book readers
know how the story goes, however since
Marvel takes creative, albeit sometimes
absurd, liberties to change the storyline,
we can definitely be certain of various
possibilities.
Marvel movies present us with an
opportunity to view a world beyond our
own lens — A fantastic world, a world
with infinite choices and countless
possible outcomes;a world very different
from ours, but yet similar in many ways;a
Universe which teaches us the value of
team-work, the need for compassion,
the beauty of imagination, the courage
to stand up for what is right, the pain of
loss and the joy of victory.
In the end, as Superman says, “There
is a superhero in all of us. We just need
the courage to put on the Cape.” So now,
who wants to be a Superhero?
36 THE PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL JUL-AUG-SEP 2018
www.progressiveschool.in