Prod. No.:
WALLET_0089 Officially Licensed Superman Merchandise
Superman Logo Leather Wallet
Superman's immigrant status is a key aspect of his appeal.
Jeff McLaughlin saw the character as pushing the boundaries of acceptance in America.
The extraterrestrial origin was seen by McLaughlin as challenging the notion that Anglo-Saxon ancestry was the source of all might.
Gary Engle saw the "myth of Superman [asserting] with total confidence and a childlike innocence the value of the immigrant in American culture."
He argues that Superman allowed the superhero genre to take over from the Western as the expression of immigrant sensibilities.
Through the use of a dual identity, Superman allowed immigrants to identify with both their cultures. Clark Kent represents the assimilated individual, allowing Superman to express the immigrants cultural heritage for the greater good.
Timothy Aaron Pevey has argued other aspects of the story reinforce the acceptance of the American dream. He notes that "the only thing capable of harming Superman is Kryptonite, a piece of his old home world."
David Jenemann has offered a contrasting view. He argues that Superman's early stories portray a threat: "the possibility that the exile would overwhelm the country."
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