Spider-Man

This weekend, we read a piece by Toni Morrison called "[This Amazing, Troubling Book]".  In this piece, Morrison analyzes Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn through her perspective.  We read Huck Finn over the summer; however, after revisiting this novel through Morrison's piece, I have discovered many similarities between Spider-Man and Huck Finn.

First, they both have a fatherly figure other than their actual dad.  For Huck it is Jim and for Peter (Spider-Man) it is his Uncle Ben.  It is because of their fatherly figures that both Huck and Peter become the heroes we know and love.  Because Jim is captured and is brought back into slavery, Huck finally overcomes all his doubts and sets a moral code for himself which leads him to rescuing Jim.  Since Peter indirectly caused his uncle's death by not stopping the thief who then goes on and kills Uncle Ben, Peter decides that he will only use his powers for good and not for selfish reasons.

Second, even though society puts all this peer pressure on them to change or to stop doing what they are doing, they always follow their conscience because they know what they are doing is right.  Everything in Huck's society has influenced him to believe that he should return Jim to slavery; but, in his heart, he knows slavery is wrong and will do anything to keep his friend and fatherly figure out of slavery.  In Spider-Man's society, everyone thinks he is a menace.  They think he should stop terrorizing the city, even though he is actually trying to help.  This doesn't faze Spider-Man, however, because he knows what he is doing is for the greater good and intends to protect New York and everyone in it.