Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson touches upon the theme of
staying true to oneself and one’s cultural values. A passage that showcases
this theme is as follows:
“Abu is right. Bruno was right. I’m not here to be a
watered-down version of some other hero…I’m here to be the best version of
Kamala”
This passage is a wonderful moment of self-acceptance.
Previously, Kamala struggled immensely to find a way to incorporate her
heritage while adapting to more Western ideals. Kamala was born in the United
States, so she is more accustomed to American ways, while her parents tend to
uphold ideologies associated with the Indian and Islamic cultures. Kamala often
butts heads with her mother and father because of their strict rules and
expectations they place on her. Kamala constantly mentions her desire to be
more like her peers. She specifically wishes she could socialize at the same
level as her schoolmates and go to parties with them. Kamala finally decides to
defy her parents and sneaks out to go to a party. Unfortunately, Kamala has a
bad experience at the party. Instead of being welcomed in a positive way at the
party, she is met with disdain and offensive remarks about her disobeying her
parents to hang out with “heathens.” Kamala leaves the party and this moment is
important because this is when she first discovers her powers. Kamala uses her
powers for good and saves one of the most popular girls at the party. Kamala’s
transformation into Ms. Marvel allowed her to finally look like she always
wanted which would allow her to fit in. Kamala does not feel comfortable in the
skimpy costume Ms. Marvel wears. This is when Kamala decides to be the best
version of herself rather than just being Ms. Marvel. In order to do so, Kamala
creates her own costume which was more modest out of her “birkini.” This
allowed Kamala to stay true to her roots while remaining empowered by her
abilities. It is important that Kamala accepted herself for who she really is
because it sends a great message to young women who may be struggling with the
same issue.
I liked the fact that Kamala created her own costume, which didn't conform to the male gaze. It allowed us to focus on her and her culture.
ReplyDeleteHi Olivia,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment. This is certainly a text about learning to come into one's own and setting aside idolization of others. This is a common theme in adolescent literature, but Kamala's story is exceptional because, unlike other adolescents, she actually has a way out. She can choose to use her powers to become like those she has been idolozing, but she ultimately decides to use her powers to become a more super version of herself. The one caveat I would mention is that her culture would be Pakistani, not Indian.