Spider-man: Homecoming (or Peter Parker the Humble Hero)
[Warning: Contains spoilers]
At first glance, Peter Parker is your average teenager. Yet, underneath that nerdy façade lies the heart of a hero with and powers contracted from a spider bite (which, interestingly, Marvel has chosen not to portray in this round of films). What is interesting about this is that Peter truly does appear to most people as nothing more than a high school student from Queens. Unlike other Avengers -- *cough* Tony *cough* -- Peter does everything he can to hide his identity for the sake of protecting his aunt. This kid, who is equally brilliant, intelligent, and brave, chooses not to let the world know who he is. In fact, he objects to their ever knowing.
Let us consider this for one second: Peter fought with the Avengers in a massive and particularly public conflict, and yet he tells NO ONE! Not his aunt, not his best friend...not even the girl he has a crush on who has openly confessed her feelings for his alter ego.
And then comes the kicker. Ned, the loyal and protective friend tries to help out by blurting out that Peter knows Spider-man, and he has an out. Rather than letting May in on the secret and worrying her by revealing his heroic self, he can simply have Spider-man make an appearance at a high school party to prove that he is connected. And yet...
And yet, when Peter realizes that a crime is occurring, he willingly abandons the one chance he has been given to make himself popular by running off to save the day. Is this still about protecting himself and his aunt? No. I might even argue that this is not about doing what is right. Peter is humble. Ultimately, he was hesitating to make the appearance at the party anyways and his mission was just a good excuse. Obviously, though, Peter is the kind of person who will always do the right thing. What I notice though is that over and over again Peter chooses not to have the recognition.
Just look at the rest of the film! Peter misses his chance to participate with his team in the decathlon (and thus the chance to experience victory). Then he saves his teammates and chooses not to let any of them know that he was even near the scene of the incident. When he comes face-to-face with his nemesis, he admits nothing and barely even tries to stand up to him, an act that is only partly borne out of self-preservation since he had the perfect opportunity to reveal his secret to his crush while warning her about her father. He doesn't want to draw attention, and he does not want to make things difficult on her. Peter's main concern, through everything he does, is humility.
He has every opportunity to become popular, but he always chooses justice over fame. He wants people to understand the good he is doing, but he willingly spends his time dealing with petty crimes or fighting in the shadows of bigger heroes -- again *cough* Tony *cough*. The last part of the movie is most revealing, in my opinion. Tony sets up a press conference and gives Peter the chance to publicly become a member of the Avengers. Thinking it is a test, he says no. Yet, even if it was a test, this is telling as Peter proves himself to be a super humble hero. He could still have said yes, Tony does not seem like the kind of person to be bothered by such a response; in fact he was counting on Peter saying yes. But Peter, knowing that there is a chance that the offer could have been real, declines fame, attention, and greater opportunities for heroism in order to keep defending his little neighbourhood from (generally) small crimes. He even turns down a new Spidey suit along with it.
What Spider-man teaches us is not about the abilities of youth, or the triumph of the underdog. Yes, it is an innocence-to-experience story and an underdog tale, but that is not the main moral being conveyed. Peter is an example of humility in heroism. He proves that being a hero is not about attention or changing the world, but about being committed to and proud of the difference that you are able to make, no matter how small that difference might be. I think that this might be the best lesson of any hero movie thus far, and one that we could all learn from. Let's strive to make a difference for others in any way we can without expecting anything in return. Let us do what is right because we care about others more than ourselves. Be a friendly neighbourhood hero, and change the world a little bit at a time. If Peter is any proof, it all pays off in the end.
At first glance, Peter Parker is your average teenager. Yet, underneath that nerdy façade lies the heart of a hero with and powers contracted from a spider bite (which, interestingly, Marvel has chosen not to portray in this round of films). What is interesting about this is that Peter truly does appear to most people as nothing more than a high school student from Queens. Unlike other Avengers -- *cough* Tony *cough* -- Peter does everything he can to hide his identity for the sake of protecting his aunt. This kid, who is equally brilliant, intelligent, and brave, chooses not to let the world know who he is. In fact, he objects to their ever knowing.
Let us consider this for one second: Peter fought with the Avengers in a massive and particularly public conflict, and yet he tells NO ONE! Not his aunt, not his best friend...not even the girl he has a crush on who has openly confessed her feelings for his alter ego.
And then comes the kicker. Ned, the loyal and protective friend tries to help out by blurting out that Peter knows Spider-man, and he has an out. Rather than letting May in on the secret and worrying her by revealing his heroic self, he can simply have Spider-man make an appearance at a high school party to prove that he is connected. And yet...
And yet, when Peter realizes that a crime is occurring, he willingly abandons the one chance he has been given to make himself popular by running off to save the day. Is this still about protecting himself and his aunt? No. I might even argue that this is not about doing what is right. Peter is humble. Ultimately, he was hesitating to make the appearance at the party anyways and his mission was just a good excuse. Obviously, though, Peter is the kind of person who will always do the right thing. What I notice though is that over and over again Peter chooses not to have the recognition.
Just look at the rest of the film! Peter misses his chance to participate with his team in the decathlon (and thus the chance to experience victory). Then he saves his teammates and chooses not to let any of them know that he was even near the scene of the incident. When he comes face-to-face with his nemesis, he admits nothing and barely even tries to stand up to him, an act that is only partly borne out of self-preservation since he had the perfect opportunity to reveal his secret to his crush while warning her about her father. He doesn't want to draw attention, and he does not want to make things difficult on her. Peter's main concern, through everything he does, is humility.
He has every opportunity to become popular, but he always chooses justice over fame. He wants people to understand the good he is doing, but he willingly spends his time dealing with petty crimes or fighting in the shadows of bigger heroes -- again *cough* Tony *cough*. The last part of the movie is most revealing, in my opinion. Tony sets up a press conference and gives Peter the chance to publicly become a member of the Avengers. Thinking it is a test, he says no. Yet, even if it was a test, this is telling as Peter proves himself to be a super humble hero. He could still have said yes, Tony does not seem like the kind of person to be bothered by such a response; in fact he was counting on Peter saying yes. But Peter, knowing that there is a chance that the offer could have been real, declines fame, attention, and greater opportunities for heroism in order to keep defending his little neighbourhood from (generally) small crimes. He even turns down a new Spidey suit along with it.
What Spider-man teaches us is not about the abilities of youth, or the triumph of the underdog. Yes, it is an innocence-to-experience story and an underdog tale, but that is not the main moral being conveyed. Peter is an example of humility in heroism. He proves that being a hero is not about attention or changing the world, but about being committed to and proud of the difference that you are able to make, no matter how small that difference might be. I think that this might be the best lesson of any hero movie thus far, and one that we could all learn from. Let's strive to make a difference for others in any way we can without expecting anything in return. Let us do what is right because we care about others more than ourselves. Be a friendly neighbourhood hero, and change the world a little bit at a time. If Peter is any proof, it all pays off in the end.
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