Ad Americam: Journal of American Studies is an open-access interdisciplinary journal edited once a year at Institute of American Studies and Polish Diaspora, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland. Ad Americam publishes double-blind peer-reviewed articles by scholars on North and Latin American history, politics, law, culture, sociology and comparative studies.
Comic Books as the Modern American Mythology
This article describes comics as a modern form of mythology. Comic book artists not only adapt well‑known American myths, such as the power of money (Batman) or America as a home for immigrants (Superman), but they also co‑create new ones along with other cultural works. For one of the characteristics of mythology is taming, explaining and commenting on reality in the form of fantastic tales. All of American history and the image of society can be found in comics. The lives of immigrants in the early twentieth century and experiences of the World Wars were illustrated in short comics that appeared in the daily press. The events of the Cold War such as the arms race and the Vietnam War were portrayed through the eyes of famous characters such as the Fantastic Four and Iron Man. Comics were also the target of Puritan society. Just like the Hays Code concerning cinema, the system of self‑censorship called the Comics Code limited artistic freedom and forced some artists to create underground. In turn, the counterculture of the 1960’s led to a gradual liberalization, allowing the adventures of African and Afro‑American superheroes to be published. Likewise, the economic crisis of the 1970s, problems in American society and the Reagan era are reflected in such comics as The Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. Surprisingly, the economic boom of the 1990s brought about a creative crisis and financial troubles among publishers. Last but not least, the events of 9/11 gave comic book stories new power when superheroes began to fight against terrorists and to explore the issue of what is more important: national security or civil liberties. All of this indicates and highlights that the history of American comic books is closely linked with the history of the American nation.
Copyright (c) 2014 Dawid Przywalny https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Józef Młot‑Mróz, a Polish refugee living in Salem, Massachusetts, was an anti‑communist, an anti‑Semite, and a right‑wing extremist. His political activity was frequent and varied, and he is thought to have participated in hundreds of demonstrations and distributed over a million copies of a hate sheet he regularly edited. He considered himself a one‑man crusader against communism, and as such was a frequent counter‑protester to many progressive and left‑wing initiatives. As the founder and only president of the Anti‑Communist Confederation of Polish Freedom Fighters, Młot‑Mróz often used the organization as a mouthpiece for his own views. His obsession with fighting “Jewish‑Communism” was heavily influenced by the notion of the “Jewish conspiracy” and other common anti‑Semitic tropes. This made his activity somewhat of a concern for Jewish Americans in New England. Due to the erratic nature of his behavior, he received noticeable press coverage in various parts of the U.S., especially in the Greater Boston area, where he became quite recognizable. He was not recognized by the wider Polish American community, which suggests a lack of support for extremist ideas within that ethnic group during the Cold War.
Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Kosciuszko Foundation, Its Alumni and American Studies: The Purpose of the Special Volume
The text explains the idea behind publishing a special issue of “Ad Americam. Journal of American Studies” dedicated to the Kosciuszko Foundation. It also discusses the role that the Foundation has played for Polish scholars, and focuses on its contribution to the continuous development of the field of American studies through the grants awarded to researchers specializing in American affairs. The text additionally discusses the initiatives undertaken by the Kosciuszko Foundation Alumni in order to promote the Foundation’s ideas, programs and knowledge acquired by its former grantees. The final section briefly presents the authors contributing to the volume and their research.
The Kosciuszko Foundation’s 100th anniversary
A Short Introduction to the History of the Kosciuszko Foundation and Its Programs
The text outlines the history of the Kosciuszko Foundation, paying special attention to the life of its founder, Szczepan Mierzwa, who came to the USA in 1910, at the age of 17. By 1925 he changed his name to Stephen Mizwa, became Assistant Professor of Economics at Drake University, and founded the Kosciuszko Foundation in New York City, which has been providing financial support to Polish scholars ever since. The text also gives an overview of all the programs that the Kosciuszko Foundation currently offers to Polish and American scholars and students.
Kosciuszko Foundation programs and grants
The classical Virtue Epistemology, one of the most interesting contributions of late 20th century American philosophy, proposed to analyze knowledge and epistemic evaluation in general in terms of intellectual virtues. In this approach, these virtues were understood as faculties or personal traits that contribute to the production of knowledge and other epistemic goods. However, the value of some plausible candidates for intellectual virtues, which can be called “generous virtues,” cannot be explained in those terms. This paper proposes a novel account of the general value of intellectual virtues that includes other‑regarding ones. To that end, it considers three strategies of socialization of Virtue Epistemology, and proposes original solution: Epistemic Social Environmentalism.
Gorbachev – Reagan Geneva Summit, November 1985
This article is a review of the negotiations between the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, and the General Secretary of the CPSU, Mikhail Gorbachev, during their summit meeting on 19‑21 November 1985 in Geneva. The text is based on the thesis about the importance of direct contacts between the leaders of superpowers for developing fundamental changes in their security policy. It answers the research question about how negotiation tactics lead to defining differences and areas of understanding that significantly influenced the entire policies of the U.S. and the USSR. The available materials from the American perspective provide insight into the formation of the United States’ position and its efforts to understand Soviet policy. During the Geneva summit, the discussions lasted for hours. These negotiations confirmed the willingness of both sides to increase nuclear security but also highlighted irreconcilable differences of opinion. The most significant difference concerned the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) and its place in the security system. Although this issue could not be resolved, progress was made on several matters related to the direction of START and INF talks. The results of this summit provided a solid foundation for further discussions and mutual visits, leading to meetings in Reykjavik, Washington, and Moscow.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Theological Evolution and the Impact of the (Black) Social Gospel on His Political Views
The aim of this article is to analyze Martin Luther King Jr.’s theological evolution and to present theological ideas that influenced his political views, paying special attention to the (Black) social gospel. The article also provides an overview of the academic debate among King scholars who differ in opinions on the importance of various elements of his theological outlook and their influence on his activism. Referring to Gary Dorrien’s definition and analysis of the influence of the Black social gospel, a tradition of the Black Church that was often omitted in earlier analyses, I will discuss his contribution to this debate.
The purpose of the article is to present a brief overview of the Americanization movement during the Great War, which strongly impacted the national policy on this matter and its evolution. National unity became particularly important and urgent in the context of war, especially after the U.S. entered the conflict. This involvement led to vigorous efforts to Americanize “all Americans,” as advocated by key players. Consequently, considerable attention from the government, various agencies, state and local offices, and several organizations focused on the foreign‑born and unassimilated immigrants, who were expected to demonstrate full loyalty, contribute to the U.S. workforce, and engage in patriotic service for the adopted country. The war’s urgent demands for workers, recruits, and loyal Americans accelerated the implementation of new Americanization avenues and sped up the assimilation policy for immigrants and the foreign‑born. The government, businesses, philanthropies, and various organizations propagated, conducted and implemented numerous programs addressed to these groups. The primary aim was to educate and prepare them for their duties to their new country, particularly aiding the war effort. Many immigrants assimilated through English language courses and thus were better prepared for American life. They contributed to the war effort by Hooverizing, working on the home front, buying Liberty Bonds and enlisting in the U.S. Army. Immigrant women were also a focus, with programs designed to prepare them for American values and community life through education and patriotic initiatives.
Polish Pioneer Communities in the Pacific Northwest
The article explores four pioneer Polish American communities in Washington State: Pe Ell, Wilkeson, Aberdeen and Enumclaw. These small towns thrived on timber industry (Pe Ell, Aberdeen), coal mining (Wilkeson) and farming (Enumclaw). In each location, Poles established a lodge of the Polish National Alliance, and in three of these communities,they successfully opened a Polish Hall. In addition, they contributed to founding a Roman Catholic church in each town and successfully advocated for a Polish‑speaking pastorate. In Pe Ell, they also established and maintain the Holy Cross parish of the schismaticPolish National Catholic Church for many decades (1916‑1970). By presenting this information, the article aims to shed light on a lesser‑known aspect of Polish diaspora history in the United States.
Circular Water and Wastewater Management in State College, Pennsylvania
In recent years, great attention has been paid to activities aimed at implementing a circular economy (CE) in the management of water resources around the world. One of the possibilities for the practical implementation of CE, based on the sustainable management of primary and secondary resources (waste), is the circular management of water and wastewater generated in urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This work presents examples of good practices in the implementation of CE in the college town of State College, Pennsylvania (United States of America). There are two WWTPs here – one belonging to Penn State University (Water Reclamation Facility) and another operated by the municipality (University Area Joint Authority). Both facilities implement CE goals through various initiatives dedicated to water, raw materials and energy recovery. The scope of these activities include using reclaimed water for irrigation of green areas, production of renewable energy, as well as recovery of biogenic components by processing sewage sludge in compost. This approach, where the university and municipality propose solutions in the environmental and social areas, is consistent with the idea of building social responsibility of units, which is a path to sustainability. Further actions to implement the CE model are expected to counteract ongoing climate change in various regions.
This essay explores the concept of nation branding and its importance in shaping a country’s image and reputation on the global stage. It discusses this concept using the example of two Latin American countries, Peru, and Mexico. As nations increasingly compete on the global arena, branding strategies have become essential for projecting a positive image that attracts investment, tourism, and international recognition. Moreover, nation branding is steadily growing in importance and more and more countries around the world are devoting resources to developing their nation brand. By exploring the cases of Peru and Mexico, this study shows the components of nation branding in practice. In addition, the essay discusses the potential benefits of implementing a nation branding strategy, especially in an increasingly connected and competitive world. This paper aims to shed light on the complexities of nation branding and encourages a critical examination of the strategies used by countries in defining their national identity on the global stage.
Risks of Using Artificial Intelligence in Creating the Image of Politicians and in Electoral Campaigns
In the light of the rapid development of advanced technologies in recent years, many questions have been raised about the future application of available technological solutions in various spheres of life, including politics. An important issue that should be discussed in this field concerns the risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence algorithms in creating the public image of politicians and in electoral campaigns. This paper is based on the concept of eroded epistemics, which is a part of Existential Risk Analysis for AI research. Using the AI Safety Research perspectives of monitoring and systemic safety, it examines the potential risks of using AI in politics and ways to minimize them. The analysis is based on the examples of actions of American politicians. Firstly, the threats of using deepfake technology in creating and manipulating the image of politicians such as Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, are presented. The second part of the paper discusses user profiling and microtargeting strategies and how they may form opinions and influence voters’ decisions. Finally, examples of present‑day solutions that are being developed to combat these risks are described.
Cultural Chronicles – Uncovering the Legacy of Oppressive Black Architecture in Memphis and Other Cities
Architectural structures and the spaces they create are not neutral; instead, they mirror the values and power dynamics of the societies in which they are constructed. This observation is particularly noticeable in the buildings African Americans inhabited throughout American history. Nevertheless, Black architecture has yet to be recognized as a culturally significant field within academia. To tackle this issue, this paper seeks to expand the architectural discourse by exploring what constitutes Black architecture. Specifically, we will investigate the histories of five houses that hold a particular place in African American historical architecture: • The barrack, • The slave cabin, • The shotgun house, • The housing projects, • The Black suburban homes. Our investigation will delve into the repercussions of each style, the societal goals in establishing each class, and the policies passed that instigated their creations. We will emphasize the connections between these styles and how each type has changed over time. This exploration will allow us to scrutinize Memphis’ architectural choices, placing them in the broader context of architectural trends at the national and regional levels. Exploring Black architecture’s evolution will also help us comprehend how architecture can contribute to racial inequality in our society. We aim to challenge the notion that architecture is only a symbol of beauty, shape, and form and instead recognize its potential to perpetuate subjugation, oppression, and control.
This paper proposes to explore how, through apocalyptic destruction, a characteristically American landscape in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road has undergone the process of removal of identity, and has, therefore, reverted into the hostile wilderness that marked Early American experience in its attribution of meaning to space. Considering Leo Marx’s “The idea of nature in America,” the journey delineated by both protagonists can be located as the heir to a Puritan tradition and/of American Nature. Yet, in the diegetic postapocalyptic landscape, human senses grow dim and biblical Words grow unspoken, as the potential for civilization turns into silence and a return to dust — and, most importantly, ash. If a characteristically American identity has been obliterated, how can meaning, if any, be found in the same material space it once held? Where can references to the past reside? Ultimately, if a dystopian destruction of both identity and the material plane has subverted American utopian anxiety, in what ways has the possibility of considering American mobility through space in search for meaning turned void? McCarthy’s novel appears to provide no answer. However, as Toni Morrison stated — in “Unspeakable Things Unspoken,” — “a void may be empty, but is not a vacuum.”
Copyright (c) 2023 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
#NeverAgainMSD and the March for Our Lives Movement
The United States gives citizens the right to own guns and has developed a specific culture of gun presence in everyday life. However, this privilege raises many controversies, and gun-related deaths are one of the most common causes of death in the U.S. Media often report on tragic shootings in the country. Nonetheless, there is still no clear regulation of legal issues in the field of gun control. This text is devoted to the issue of the March for Our Lives (MFOL) social movement created by a group of students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The movement was established in response to a shooting that occurred at the school on February 14, 2018. The massacre caused shock almost all over the United States and gave rise to a series of great demonstrations in favor of gun control, which turned into the March For Our Lives social movement. Why did this movement appear after the events at the Parkland school, and what was its formation like? Did the term “potential tipping point” in the context of gun control and MFOL come true? What is the balance between the organizers’ assumptions and the actual results? This text analyzes the events of 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and attempts to answer the question about the essence of the March for Our Lives movement.
The 2022 infant formula crisis has brought a new meaning to food insecurity, generally understood as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food” (USDA Economic Research Service, Definitions of Food Security). The problem has been affecting a specific social category: people caring for infants. As expected, it exacerbated food insecurity and food worries among low income and minority families, but also impacted families commonly perceived as the middle class. There are no easy solutions to the problem which combines post-pandemic supply disruptions with a decadeslong market concentration in the domestic formula sector, with four companies controlling around 90% of the market supply and virtually none coming from other countries due to steep import tariffs on the most formula (Horsley). Throughout the spring and summer of 2022, the formula crisis served as a proxy for the interplay of economic, political, and social conflicts extant in the United States. Besides direct conflicts, like those between formula manufacturers, families in need of formula, and breastfeeding advocates, there are also post-2020 presidential election conflicts between those who accepted the results and those who rejected them. These conflicts will be examined here, as well as the responsibilities of government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that important food staples such as baby formula meet stringent safety criteria, which — given the current shape of the U.S. food system — could lead to depletion of these very supplies when problems arise. While the blame game continues and becomes political, with fingers being pointed at manufacturers, government agencies, the Biden administration and even the babies of migrants detained at the U.S. borders, no longterm policies preventing such a crisis in the future have been established. The measures implemented by the Biden administration to alleviate the problem, including 26 events of Operation Fly Formula to transport infant milk to the U.S. from various parts of the world, reduced the crisis only to a certain extent. Much bolder steps against market concentration in the milk formula sector and towards a smarter imports policy and better hygiene standards in production facilities must be taken to increase the food security of infants and young children in the United States.
Canadian Federal Policies and the Inuit Youth Suicide Crisis
Since the late 1980s, an unusually high number of suicides and cases of self-harm has been recorded among the Indigenous inhabitants of the Canadian Arctic, the Inuit. The statistics on child and adolescent suicides are particularly drastic. This situation appears to be primarily a symptom of historical trauma which was acquired due to the colonization and assimilation processes and passed down from generation to generation. Federal policies, such as forced relocations and residential schools, have directly contributed to the severing of family ties and the abandonment of traditional lifestyles. Over the years, the federal government tried to address the issue of the Inuit youth suicide crisis through various proposals. The best strategies to end the suicide crisis seem to be the respect and incorporation of Indigenous leadership, upholding local traditions and ceremonies, as well as investing in psychological support and family therapy for the first inhabitants of the Arctic. To effectively address the problem, the solution must be comprehensive and Inuit-specific rather than symptom-focused. This article discusses how particular federal policies and programs in northern Canada have impacted the communal well-being of the Inuit, and it outlines the most important strategies aiming at decreasing suicide rates among Inuit youth.
The Problem with a Peremptory Challange – a Tool of Racial Discrimination Within American Jury Selection Process
Jury duty serves as one of the fundamental pillars of American democracy, for it encourages direct citizen participation. Yet, the process of selecting its members is characterised by a flaw in form of a peremptory challenge — a tool with considerable potential for abuse since it permits covert discrimination against members of visible minority groups. Despite not being a procedural right protected by the Constitution of the United States, peremptories have entered the canon of provisions thought to be necessary for preserving the fairness of trial due to their long history of employment in the legal system. In the late 1980s, the Supreme Court in Batson v. Kentucky ruled the exclusion of jurors solely on the basis of their race to be unconstitutional and established the first preventative procedural standard against dubious usage of peremptories in form of the Batson Rule. The effectiveness of the said standard remains questionable, for it did not successfully deal with racial discrimination during voir dire but only enabled to formally object to the questionable juror’s strike. This paper aims to put racial discrimination within the American jury system into a historical perspective, analyze the arguments of both the supporters and the opponents of further peremptory challenge usage and consider probable alternatives that might be implemented to successfully prevent discriminatory practices within the American jury selection process.
From Ipanema Across the Ocean – Brazil’s Image Abroad Through Music
Brazilian music carries strong characteristics of its people and has become one of the most recognizable features of the country abroad. In this study, I analyze how Brazil is pictured overseas by the means of music as an element of soft power of the country. Nonetheless, I bring attention to the importance of self-awareness of the Brazilian identity and its relations with the image that the country has abroad. I address the issue through analysis of the cases of Heitor Villa-Lobos, Carmem Miranda, bossa nova, and heavy metal. In this analysis, the role of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also taken into account. I suggest that Oswald de Andrade’s anthropophagic idea can apply to the reflections of Brazilians towards their image abroad.
Québec Separatism in the Polish Weekly Newspaper Czas [Polish Times]
Some processes in every country’s history are significant and well-known to any scholar who is interested in the subject. In the history of Canada, there are many processes of this kind, for example relations with the Indigenous People or attitude towards immigrants. Québec separatism is one of these processes. There are a lot of publications and vivid discussions about this issue, however, they lack opinions from ethnic groups other than English speakers. This paper presents the history of Québec separatism from 1960 to 1980 seen through the eyes of Poles in Canada and expressed in Czas [Polish Times] — a weekly newspaper published by the Polish Diaspora in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which is a city in the prairies distant from Québec and the second largest agglomeration of Poles in Canada after Toronto. Czas was the only newspaper in that area which shaped the opinions of Polish speakers. The author used content analysis to best show the various aspects of research. This paper aims to present different views on Québec separatism that changed over time from ignorance through compromise, warnings, and danger to the first separatist referendum in 1980. The elaboration proves that even though there were not many original articles about Québec separatism in Czas — many of them were reprints from other papers, the Polish Diaspora was involved in keeping Canada united. It was a result of devotion to the Land of Maple Leaf as well as a reflection of the situation in Poland.
Eviction Moratorium in the New York State During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The work aims to analyze and compare the development of the legal solutions for the eviction crisis that were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in the New York State by each branch of the authorities. The issue will be studied by analyzing documents introduced by the legislature, executive branch and judiciary, dealing with the prohibition of evicting tenants from residential and commercial premises during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper will analyze short-term solutions in the form of ordinances, as well as long-term solutions in the form of laws. Furthermore, it will try to demonstrate the minor contradictions, problems, and complexities involved with the bifurcation of the introduced legal solutions, and to show that eviction moratoria in the New York State did not provide total protection and assistance to tenants, as well as that their solutions were rather short-term. The paper will also present solutions from the federal level and compare them to state solutions in order to show the difference in approach. The article will also demonstrate that acting at the state and local level, on a smaller scale, is more effective because it is easier to reach a specific group of stakeholders. Moreover, a change in the nature of legal solutions introduced at the state level will be observed, which was caused by the change of a governor general of the New York State and the Supreme Court’s ruling that one of the laws was illegal — the paper will show how this ban was circumvented by the new state authorities.
The formation of Whitman’s poetics can be explained from various perspectives: mystical experience, Transcendentalism, politics, sexuality, and so on. Among these factors, the essay aims to study Whitman’s poetics in the context of politics, especially concerning the continuation of the spirit of ’76 — the American Revolutionary spirit. The essay emphasizes the influence of Jefferson on Whitman, particularly Jefferson’s ward system — the link so far overlooked — and argues that it has bearing on Whitman’s poetics. Jefferson sought the continuation of the American experiment of self-government, and, in this context, proposed a ward system — the county subdivision into smaller units. I will demonstrate that Whitman the Journalist showed great interest in Jefferson’s ward system, and that this new link puts Whitman’s poetics in a new light; Whitman’s “interior American republic” is a further subdivision of Jefferson’s “ward republic.” Before Whitman sought to solve the paradox of the individual and mass as well as the states and federal government — as the essay argues — Whitman, like Jefferson, needed to grapple with the paradox of the revolutionary spirit which includes contradictory elements, i.e. the spirit of the new and the concern with stability based on it.
Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho
The era of the military junta left a legacy of draconian laws and inhumane prison conditions. The lack of effective reforms led to the rise of the prison gangs Comando Vermelho in the city of Rio de Janeiro and Primeiro Comando da Capital in the city of São Paulo. Ineffective state government policies based on relocation of problem prisoners and initial denial of their existence not only accelerated the expansion of the CV and PCC gangs in the prisons themselves but also enabled them to infiltrate the favelas. Members of the Comando Vermelho and the Primeiro Comando da Capital gangs took advantage of inequalities and racial discrimination that had existed since colonial times to maintain a negative image of the state and white elites while gaining support and potential recruits. The cocaine boom of the 1980s and the associated development of the narco-business provided the gangs with a lucrative source of income, but at the same time became a flashpoint between them, generating conflicts. Parallel with the emergence of organized crime, a multidimensional phenomenon called narco-culture arose and began to permeate popular culture. Though it, members of gangs and drug cartels sought to legitimize and gain social acceptance for narco-business, drug consumption, and their own criminal operations at the expense of lowering the authority of the state.
Copyright (c) 2022 Kamil Jański https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The COVID-19 pandemic has left no area of human life unaffected and the food system in its global, regional, or micro manifestations is not an exception. The images of empty store shelves caused by lockdowns stirred a lot of anxiety among consumers in the so-called First World. At the same time, thousands of miles away, in the developing and underdeveloped countries, where having a meal is never taken for granted, people suffered the harshest consequences of any pandemic-related instability in the food system. Both these realities deserve intellectual reflection, with the former being far more intricate than its media portrayals and therefore will be explored further in this work. This paper aims to study the COVID-19 impact on food systems in developed countries such as the United States and Canada, as well as the challenges to the food security they face during the pandemic. It offers a top-down approach, starting with the definition of food security, and highlighting some crucial aspects of food access and food availability, which has been compromised by the spread of coronavirus in the two countries. Detailed analysis of responses to the pandemic-related food security problems in both countries will be offered as well. The right to food is presented here as a human right, and the links between that right and the concept of food security are brought out. The pandemic wreaked havoc on food security in many parts of the world, including the affluent, but at the same time revealed its fragility and the need for continuous monitoring, re-assessment, and improvement through more effective food programs. The emerging sliver of hope for a more just postpandemic food system should not be ignored.
Copyright (c) 2022 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Squash that Conquered America: Pumpkin Symbolism in the United States
Pumpkin has always played an important role in American culture. Throughout history, it carried a plethora of meanings and connotations. Since European arrival to the New World, the meaning of the squash changed drastically from a product crucial for survival due to its practical features to the one that carries primarily a symbolic meaning. The shift happened by series of small changes with a significant impact of fall holidays: Thanksgiving and Halloween. Thanks to them, the squash began to be associated not only with the seasonal traditions, but with America itself. The pumpkin constantly appears in cultural texts such as poems and graphics, usually as a symbol of the fall or one of the holidays of that part of the year, although some representations depict it as an emblem of the American nation. Its association with the United States is now recognized across the world. At the same time, pumpkin significance extends and evolves into new forms. In modern America, it is not the pumpkin itself that reminds of the fall, but the spice based on a pumpkin pie. Thus, pumpkin becomes a link in a chain of symbolic references.
Post-9/11 Dilemma over the Priority of National Security or Civil Liberties in Marvel Comics (2001-2004)
The article contains an analysis of comics from Marvel Comics, published between the second half of 2001 and the end of 2004. With the mixed methods approach (quantitative and qualitative research), the criterion for the analysis is appearance of and references to the socio-political dilemma of the conflict between ensuring national security and respecting civil liberties. It was one of the most important topics of debate for American society after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in the sphere of politics and law in the US. The analysis aims to discover the number of comics that dealt with the subject of this post-9/11 dilemma, as well as to categorize individual stories, with the use of Jonathan Culler’s over-interpretation, as supporting the priority of national security or advocating for the importance of civil liberties. With these data, it will be possible to determine the political tone of individual comics, as well as to establish the views of the artists working for Marvel Comics and their attitudes to the policy pursued by the administration of President George W. Bush. The article uses studies conducted as part of doctoral research from the unpublished dissertation Terrorism, politics, and civil liberties in the American comics after September 11, 2001, based on a comics analysis of Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Image Comics.