You should take a class outside of your comfort zone
You won’t know until you try something
I am not, nor do I ever intend to be, a Philosophy major. As someone who thrives in specifics and concrete ideas, a field primarily based on theories and conjecture about life interests me as much as taking a course on basket weaving. So when I found a class that was centered around Marvel comics and other graphic novels, my nerd heart was nearly bursting with joy — until I read that the course would be structured around philosophy.
The course name? ‘Fantasy Girls: Philosophical Examinations of Women and Girls in Fantasy and Science Fiction.’ This class, taught by Philosophy professor Tracie Mahaffey, examines and analyzes how women are portrayed and treated in science fiction and fantasy works — such as comics and graphic novels — all within the parameters of different philosophical texts.
To say the least, I was apprehensive. I had never taken a philosophy class before, and I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to take one. Would the class be more Marvel or more philosophy? The idea of the latter scared me — I don’t know philosophy. I don’t particularly like philosophy (or so I thought). I didn’t want to be stuck in a course that was advertised as a comics class, but was actually something much drier. It was my mother, actually, who got me to click enroll. As I expressed my concerns, she very wisely said, “How are you going to know if you don’t try it?” With a head nod and a bit of hope, I went for it.
Five weeks into the semester, I am happy to report that I don’t regret signing up for this class. It’s not just “the Marvel class” and it’s not just a philosophy class, either. Professor Mahaffey seamlessly blends the two together, incorporating topics from her fields into explanations of plots and character developments in the stories we’ve read so far.
As we read comics that were written throughout the years, it’s plain to the eye how the stereotypical view of women shaped how their comic counterparts were portrayed. In one Avengers comic in particular, written in 1963, Carol Danvers — known more commonly by her alter ego Ms. Marvel — gives birth to a baby after she magically winds up pregnant three days prior. Instead of being elated about her new child, Carol is rightfully distraught and confused. However, the rest of the Avengers continue to reach out to her, telling her she has nothing to be upset about, that she should be happy she has a child. Considering the implied situation and the Avengers’ bizarrely unemotional reactions, I think it’s safe to feel perturbed as a reader.
Then, after sitting through a lecture with Professor Mahaffey on this particular comic, you come to realize that this is actually a form of gaslighting, or a type of manipulation in which the victim questions their own sanity. I was bothered before, but being enlightened to the philosophical and psychological layers underneath the plot just makes it even more interesting to analyze.
Yes, I still feel out of my element reading articles about philosophy, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Being out of your element allows you to learn things you didn’t think you’d learn, opening doors you never thought would unlock. Who knows — maybe I’ll even start to like the philosophical side of the class more than the Marvel side soon.