LOVE OF LITERATURE AND HISTORY
Written by C Hues
March 17, 2022
Anna fought for abolition Faced a fight across the pond She wouldn’t die until her mission Helped set all free from slavery’s bond She warned men of the master’s lust The hubris and hypocrisy The broken vows, the tarnished trust Some slaves so light you’d think them free Anna fought to teach her niece She never changed her Tone Anna sought and strived for peace Because United we’re better, never alone
Written by C Hues
March 15, 2022
Waiting on a shift to spring The shadow that the groundhog sees Though Father Time thinks he’s the King Man can make the daylight freeze But Mother Nature can’t be beguiled Though you may try with cars and coal Her Vengeance will be vast and wild She is a force you can’t control
Written by C Hues
March 4, 2022
Black Women are beautiful—brown, dark, and light Black Women gave birth to civil rights Black Women endured the Edwin Epps Black Women make movements and take the first steps The best of us have been treated the lowest Society sees progress and moves the slowest Black Woman, you are the beginning If we follow black women, we all will start winning
Written by C Hues
February 28, 2022
Miles Morales’ unique powers reflect his status as a teenager and the changes that he undergoes because of puberty. Miles has the powers of invisibility and electric shock, which none of the other Spider-people in the film seem to possess. His power of invisibility relates to the feelings that many teenagers have, particularly those who are bullied and ostracized. His powers of electricity show that we all have a “spark” inside of us which makes us unique. We can only find our “spark” if we believe in ourselves.
Miles Morales’ unique powers are directly connected to his character development. The school that Miles attends is ironically called “Visions Academy”, but Miles prefers to remain unseen. He is embarrassed by his dad before he goes to school, where the other students mock his situation by mimicking his dad. He fails one of his true/false tests purposely to get himself kicked out of school, but the teacher is quick to his game. Even after getting bit by the spider and gaining his powers, Miles remains awkward and almost pulls out all of Gwen Stacy’s hair. The more Miles tries to remain invisible, the more visible he becomes. He gets teased and called a “weirdo” by his peers, leading him to feel alone. Right after Miles becomes the unwanted center of attention, he runs across a platform at the school with the words “VISIONS” in capital letters. Miles tries to explain the situation to Gwen as being the result of “puberty”. In one scene, Stan Lee cameos as a store owner who gives Miles a cheap Spider-Man costume and discusses the death of the Peter Parker of Miles’ universe. The exchange follows,
Stan Lee: I’m…going to miss him.
Miles Morales: Yeah.
Stan Lee: We were friends you know.
Miles Morales: Can I return it if it doesn’t fit?
Stan Lee: It always fits…eventually.
This meta-scene confirms the original theme that Stan Lee wanted to convey with Spider-Man: puberty. This theme of puberty correlates to Miles’ powers because just as it would take him time to grow into his suit, it takes him time to grow into his powers. When the other Spider-people meet up with Miles in Aunt May’s basement, they demand that Miles turn invisible and show them his powers. Miles wants more than anything to be invisible, to not stand out, and to be a “normal kid”, yet he can’t will himself to be invisible. The idea of Spider-Man as a reluctant hero is corroborated by the writer Douglas Wolk, who writes that Spider-Man is defined by “the amazing powers he never asked for” and that “he’s gained a responsibility that he never wanted but accepts anyway.” He goes on to write that Spider-Man is “alienated from everyone” and that “the popular kids in his school mock him.” Miles’ power of invisibility and the theme of “Vision” is also tied to Peter B. Parker’s statement that he won’t know when he is ready, but he needs “a leap of faith”. Miles may not be able to see or know when he’s ready to be a hero, but the first step to being a hero is confidence. Miles believes that he suffers from being socially awkward or has a commonsense problem, but the truth is that he has a confidence problem. When Miles believes in himself, then he realizes that he is ready to be a superhero. When he finally is ready for the world to see him, that is when he can ultimately turn invisible. It is only through Miles’ repeated failures that he eventually finds success. Stan Lee believed that “the key to Spider-Man…was failure”. Although Miles fails on his first attempt to use the move that his uncle Aaron taught him (to impress Gwen), by the end of the film he successfully uses the move on Kingpin to defeat him.
The electric power that Miles manifests seems to be a metaphor for the “spark” that Jefferson Davis (Miles’ dad) tells him that he is waiting for him to let out. The electricity, or “spark” is a power that connects to Miles Morales’ limitless potential and creative genius. Just as Miles’ teacher would not let him quit, a key theme of Spider-Man is that he “never gives up”. Miles’ spark is also tied to the theme of his essay, “Great Expectations”. Miles incessantly buckles under the pressure that his parents, teachers, and the other Spider-people place on him, and feels like a failure because he thinks he cannot live up to their expectations. However, Miles realizes that he must define what he expects from himself and set his own goals. Therefore, Miles eventually spray-paints all over the original Spider-Man costume because he is not Peter Parker. Miles realizes he must live to the standards of Miles Morales alone; not Peter, Gwen, Penny, his father, his teachers, or anyone else. He gives the costume his own unique color scheme of black and red, and spray paints it in honor of his uncle (the one person who he felt placed no expectations on him).
Miles Morales is a teenager who carries on the legacy of Peter Parker and represents someone that the underdog can identify with and understand. He also embodies the courage, creativity, and intellectual genius that the original Spider-Man had, while having his own individual sense of personality and motivations. Although Miles begins his story lacking confidence, he “grows into” who he really is and can tap into and control his powers.
CITATIONS
Written by C Hues
February 28, 2022
Erik Killmonger’s American name reveals his heritage as a member of the Wakandan royal family. His name also connects to his status as an outsider to the Wakandans, and the tragic circumstances that led him to harbor such hatred toward his blood relatives. Killmonger’s name is shared with the main antagonist to one of Marvel’s greatest team of superheroes, and the commonalities that the two characters share further establish Killmonger as a wily leader who is marred by oppression, subjugation, and abandonment.
In Black Panther, Killmonger’s (American) birth name is tied to his origins as a descendant of the Wakandan royal family and confirms his motivations and ambition for power. Killmonger’s name is Erik Stevens.[1] The name Erik is an alternative version of Eric, which “Means ‘ever ruler’, from the Old Norse name Eirikr, derived from the elements ei “ever, always” and rikr “ruler, mighty”.[2] As Killmonger finally becomes King of Wakanda after defeating T’Challa in combat and takes the heart shaped herb, he demands that all of the other heart shaped herbs are destroyed. When a Wakandan woman tells him that he cannot destroy the herbs because he will need to give them to his descendants, Killmonger furiously chokes her and declares himself the only King. Killmonger’s actions reflect the meaning of his name, that he intends to always be the ruler, and further substantiates the selfishness of the character because he puts his own vendetta before the good of Wakanda as a nation. Killmonger also establishes that he values power and might over wisdom, as he aligns himself with W’Kabi, who pleaded with T’Challa to police other countries and enact imperialist policies throughout the world.[3] Erik’s surname, Stevens, is a variant of the last name Stephens. Stephens is derived from the given name Stephen, which means “‘crown, wreath’, more precisely ‘that which surrounds’.”[4] Killmonger’s last name further corroborates his royal lineage and serves as a condemnation of Wakanda’s role in ignoring the outside world. Killmonger literally represents “that which surrounds” Wakanda because he was born in the United States and is part of the African diaspora that the Wakandan people chose to neglect. Wakanda has force fields that shield them from the world around them, and decided not to share their advanced technology, resources, and vibranium with black people in other countries who needed it.[5]
Killmonger also shares the same first name as the supervillain and X-Men archenemy, Magneto (who also was not born with the name Erik, but later uses it as an alias and it becomes the name with which he is most associated with), who has lead and ruled the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Magneto has some similarities to Killmonger because of their shared ideologies, motivations of revenge, and their merciless rage directed towards oppressors. Killmonger and Magento are both cunning, master tacticians, and expert strategists who will use any method and make any sacrifice to accomplish their goals. Killmonger became a Navy SEAL and fooled the U.S. government and military into believing that his loyalties lied with them, while Magneto deceived Professor X and the X-Men copious times in his attempts to fulfill his goal of exterminating humans.[6] Both men also come from marginalized and mistreated groups of people, and both seem to have an unfortunate habit of mistreating women (particularly their lovers).[7] Killmonger murders his girlfriend when she becomes too much of a liability, and in Days of Future Past, a young Magneto attempts to murder his lover, Mystique, when he believes it will preserve mutantkind.[8]
Killmonger’s American name substantiates his legacy as a descendant of Wakandan Kings and Queens. His name confirms his connection to the Wakandans, while simultaneously establishing his disconnect to the Wakandans because of his status as an outsider. Killmonger’s name is shared with Magneto, with whom he also shares many personality traits and plans of action.
[1] Black Panther. Rating: PG-13 (Sequences of Action Violence|A Brief Rude Gesture). Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure. Original Language: English. Director: Ryan Coogler. Producer: Kevin Feige. Writer: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole. Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2018 Wide. Release Date (Streaming): May 2, 2018. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/black_panther_2018
[2] Behindthename.com. “Eric”, “Erik”. Accessed February 27, 2022.
[3] Black Panther. Rating: PG-13 (Sequences of Action Violence|A Brief Rude Gesture). Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure. Original Language: English. Director: Ryan Coogler. Producer: Kevin Feige. Writer: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole. Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2018 Wide. Release Date (Streaming): May 2, 2018.
[4] Behindthename.com. “Stevens”, “Stephens”, “Stephen”. Accessed February 27, 2022.
[5] Black Panther. Rating: PG-13 (Sequences of Action Violence|A Brief Rude Gesture). Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure. Original Language: English. Director: Ryan Coogler. Producer: Kevin Feige. Writer: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole. Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2018 Wide. Release Date (Streaming): May 2, 2018.
[6] Black Panther. Rating: PG-13 (Sequences of Action Violence|A Brief Rude Gesture). Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure. Original Language: English. Director: Ryan Coogler. Producer: Kevin Feige. Writer: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole. Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2018 Wide. Release Date (Streaming): May 2, 2018.
X-Men: Days of Future Past. Rating: PG-13 (Intense Sci-Fi Violence|Intense Sci-Fi Action|Language|Nudity|Some Suggestive Material). Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adventure. Original Language: English. Director: Bryan Singer
Producer: Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker. Writer: Simon Kinberg. Release Date (Theaters): May 23, 2014 Wide. Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2014. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_days_of_future_past
[7] X-Men: Days of Future Past. Rating: PG-13 (Intense Sci-Fi Violence|Intense Sci-Fi Action|Language|Nudity|Some Suggestive Material). Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adventure. Original Language: English. Director: Bryan Singer
Producer: Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker. Writer: Simon Kinberg. Release Date (Theaters): May 23, 2014 Wide. Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2014. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_days_of_future_past
Black Panther. Rating: PG-13 (Sequences of Action Violence|A Brief Rude Gesture). Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure. Original Language: English. Director: Ryan Coogler. Producer: Kevin Feige. Writer: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole. Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2018 Wide. Release Date (Streaming): May 2, 2018.
[8] X-Men: Days of Future Past. Rating: PG-13 (Intense Sci-Fi Violence|Intense Sci-Fi Action|Language|Nudity|Some Suggestive Material). Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adventure. Original Language: English. Director: Bryan Singer
Producer: Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker. Writer: Simon Kinberg. Release Date (Theaters): May 23, 2014 Wide. Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2014. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_days_of_future_past