I really enjoyed the article from "Up, Up, and Oy Vey!" I liked the style of writing and how it's less formal than a lot of text books and other scholarly works. It makes it more fun to read but at the same time I learned a lot from it.
His writing seems to be pretty thorough in that he doesn't just discuss the Thing but he also talks about the other characters in the Fantastic Four and how they initially turned into super heroes. This is very helpful to me because I haven't seen the Fantastic Four movie and I haven't read any of the comic books. The background knowledge helps me understand who the Thing is and and where he fits into the comic book world.
Something I found interesting in the article is when the author discusses the influence of Judaism in the Fantastic Four. Not only is the Thing a golem but the Fantastic Four focuses on family and trying to get along with each other and work together which as the author states is important in Judaism. Not only that but the fact that there are four members in this family is symbolic in that it shows completeness and symbolizes the four building blocks of matter.
I like the fact that the Fantastic Four comic book went back and explored the Thing's past. I think it gives the character more depth and makes him seem more like an average person instead of a type of monster. It helps make the readers feel more sympathetic towards him.
First of all, the Fantastic Four was a very well thought of plot. I like that it shows the personalities of the characters so much. The Thing's personality is definitely the most defined as he is the one most affected by the accident.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the Jewish aspects, they were not intended by the writer, Stan Lee. I believe that these elements were subconsciously added by the creators who were indeed Jewish.
Finally, the development of The Thing's past is pretty intersting. I think that this reflects our society's openness to diversity and religious differences.