Different

Steve in the 1940s                         Steve Today

This week, we read "Fish Cheeks," a short story by Amy Tan.  In this story, Tan discusses what it was like to grow up being Chinese in America.  She recalls being embarrassed of her culture at the time of the story, but later she realizes that she should not have tried to change herself and becomes "proud [she is] different" (Tan 95).  This reminded me of how Steve Rogers must have felt when he made the transition from the 1940s to the culture of today.

Although Amy Tan is discussing the difference between two cultures, the difference between two time periods can be viewed in the same way.  Each decade has their own slang, music, morals, technology, clothing, manners, and many more items and techniques associated with them.  If someone was to go from one time period to another, they would need to learn the culture of that period in order to fit in which is exactly what Steve Rogers had to do.  He dressed differently, thought differently, and he definitely didn't know what a cell phone was.  Just like Amy Tan and her "miniskirt in beige tweed," he thought if he looked the same on the outside he would fit in (Tan 95).  However, he will always be different.  A part of him will always be from the 1940s just like a part of Amy Tan will always be Chinese.

Charles Xavier

This week, we read a short story called "Disability" by Nancy Mairs.  In this story, Mairs reveals that the media severely hurts the disabled by failing to represent disabilities as normal.  In addition, the media's portrayal also hurts the "Temporarily Abled" because it influences people to believe that disabilities can't happen to them (Mairs 15).  However, people can become disabled "without warning, at any time" (Mairs 15).  Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X, fell victim to the media’s lack of portrayal when he gets paralyzed from the waist down.

Charles Xavier, along with the other X-Men, is a mutant.  Each one of them has a different special ability.  Charles has the ability of telepathy.  While on a mission with the X-Men in Cuba, he was accidentally shot in the back, paralyzing his legs.  He adjusted well at first, but over the years he becomes very depressed.  Charles was already an outcast of society because he is a mutant; now he is also an outcast of his own community because he is in a wheelchair.  He wants to be seen as "normal" so badly that he enlists the help of his friend to develop a serum that will allow him to walk again.  However, if he takes the serum, he will not be able to use his telepathy again.  In order to be considered "normal," he is willing to give up apart of himself that makes him truly special.  Nevertheless, he takes the serum anyway.  Finally he realizes that being true to himself is far better than conforming to society's standards.  Maybe if the media portrayed disabilities as something that "complicates but does not ruin human existence," the transition for Charles would have been easier (Mairs 15).