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| Significant spoilers ahead for Captain Marvel. If you've been reading the last two weeks, You knew this was coming, so you've had time to see it by now... |
Finally, onto Captain Marvel. I think we see the quality with which we ended last week's discussion, of drawing the strength out of others, in Maria. She is the one able to help Carol rediscover her identity and so to finally become the hero she was made to be, rather than the weapon the Kree sought to make of her. She does not do this by cracking a code or solving a mystery, but by appealing to relationship, to their deep friendship. It will no doubt make many women and girls happy that the portrayal of Carol becoming the hero in this movie, is very much about her becoming the woman, by rediscovering the truth of who she is as a woman. The Kree robbed her of her home and the relationships that helped forge her true identity, in order to seek to make her into a weapon they could use for their own purposes. The interaction between Coulson and Fury at the end shows how even S.H.I.E.L.D. could be tempted to view her, and other heroes, as weapons, rather than persons. But, Carol's quest to rediscover herself is about reclaiming her identity, her dignity and the relationships that matter to her. Nonetheless, the enemy is relentless, continually viewing her as a weapon. The final interaction with Ronan (called "The Accuser" - see Rev. 12:10) before fleeing the scene is very telling: "We will be back for the weapon." "The core?" "The woman." The enemy has pursued the woman since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15), but the promise of final victory has always been hers in Christ (Revelation 12).
The relentless attack upon the woman is definitely boldly featured in this movie, but in a way that draws emphasis to the fact that part of the attack is precisely in the lie that she is weak and helpless. I would agree with this. However, I would urge women to not allow this lie to direct them to an alternative lie: "I don't need anyone." Strength is more than independence and it is certainly not found in the illusion of self-sufficiency. Part of the feminine genius is found in its unique capacity to reveal to us that the real strength in human nature is found in our capacity for relationship. The human person is made for communion, which causes us to help, support, encourage, challenge and strengthen one another and even to call one another higher by holding each other accountable. At times, Marvel has shown this well. One example that comes to mind is the beloved "Who says she's alone?" moment in Avengers: Infinity War when a handful of the female heroes band together on the battlefield (this certainly evoked a great deal of cheers in the theater I was in on opening night). This comes across fairly well in Captain Marvel, as well. We see it particularly in the friendship between Carol and Maria, but also in the friendship that develops between Carol and Fury. On the note of that budding friendship, however, it does seem that they enjoy showing Fury to be the oblivious, clueless man. But, in the end, this all comes to a point of slight nuance, as it becomes clear that Carol, too, has been deceived and together they uncover and fight for the truth, but only with the help of another race of peoples, who not only help her find the truth, but also offer her a glimpse of family. Carol's fight to overcome the lies that have held her back includes also the frequently referenced insulting caricature of the woman as one who can't control her emotions. Not only are her emotions not something that cause her to lose control, they are an aspect of her humanity, which enables her to draw upon her own inner strength by being in touch with our natural capacity for relationship, that is the true strength of humanity.
Amanda rightly pointed out, "female characters tend to favor protecting the weak... (and) portray moral strength... their strength lies in doing the right thing even if it’s tough or even if it entails self-sacrifice." We see this in a turning point in Carol's newfound partnership with Fury, when she turns around, in defiance of Kree orders, to go rescue Fury and bring him along on a quest to find the truth. But, we hear it even more directly in Maria's description of Carol, "the woman... risking her life... because it was the right thing to do." Amanda raised another concern, regarding the trend of extremely violent female-led movies, and her thoughts are strikingly resonant of elements of Carol's mission. "The logic (behind these extremely violent female characters) seems to be that the main characters in these stories tended to be male in the previous works and now making them female but having them play the same role gives it some novelty while emphasizing that a woman can match a man in terms of physical prowess and the ability to 'get things done.' While women can also be violent, I think physical violence is characteristically un-feminine." Now, while Carol is certainly ready and willing to be violent when necessary, her mission becomes clear, as she discovers who she really is and becomes that person again: "Not to fight wars, but to end them." Similarly, the task of finding a new home for the Skrulls becomes essential to her mission, which bears a slight resemblance to the maternal missions of Mallory (Bird Box) and Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road). As she sets out on this mission, it begins to look as if her encounter with the family of Skrulls and her reconnection with her own "real family" and her corresponding identity as "Auntie Carol" have enabled her to begin to take on some maternal characteristics.
Alison pointed out some uniquely feminine qualities, which Carol seems to exemplify boldly, namely that female characters tend to "show both resilience and compassion." She also had a very striking answer to the question: If you could change one thing about how prominent female characters are written, that would improve the images young girls would have when they open a book or go to a movie theater, what would you change? Why? "I would establish that it’s ok to show weakness, because that doesn’t negate a woman’s strength. You can be both powerful and vulnerable, incredibly intelligent yet still make mistakes, joyful and yet sad at times, competent but confused, independent but still wanting a family, etc. It’s important to recognize how you’re feeling and own up to what mistakes you’ve made, but the bottom line should be that people are complex and a woman’s nurturing, intuitive side doesn’t lose its efficacy because that woman is also a strong leader, and vice versa." In some ways, I think Captain Marvel captures fairly well what Alison is calling for here. In other ways, it still has a ways to go.
The story of Carol Danvers certainly carries an emphasis on family and on the friendship that develops between all of the characters. Still, it certainly places heavy emphasis, perhaps more so, on equality, on the individual strength of the woman, than on this complementarity. However, her strength is clearly forged out of relationship. Hopefully, this element of complementarity can come across even better when she starts interacting with the other Avengers (that's the kind of thing those movies are best at, anyway). But, with it's emphasis seemingly on her individual strength and resilience, it does seem that it does run the risk of repeating the trend to portray feminine strength in such a way as to feed into the modern misconception that "women don't need men." Thankfully, it doesn't do this to an extreme degree. The fact that there is a beautiful complementarity between man and woman, which results in our need for one another,*** does not make either sex weak. It simply makes us human. I think one great aspect of the climax of this film is that, as Carol is discovering the lies that have been fed to her, and realizing that she was always strong after all (her strength is not dependent on what the Kree did to her), she does not rise to her feet with the words, "I am woman, hear me roar." Instead, she rises with the ironic twist on the tempter's own words: "I am only human." With all of her womanly strength, she stands up, not just for all woman, but to remind us all of the true strength of humanity. The "genius all her own," of which Saint John Paul II spoke is not something that makes her better or worse than males. It is the particular way in which femininity reveals to the world what it means to be human, to be made in the image and likeness of God.
The story of Carol Danvers certainly carries an emphasis on family and on the friendship that develops between all of the characters. Still, it certainly places heavy emphasis, perhaps more so, on equality, on the individual strength of the woman, than on this complementarity. However, her strength is clearly forged out of relationship. Hopefully, this element of complementarity can come across even better when she starts interacting with the other Avengers (that's the kind of thing those movies are best at, anyway). But, with it's emphasis seemingly on her individual strength and resilience, it does seem that it does run the risk of repeating the trend to portray feminine strength in such a way as to feed into the modern misconception that "women don't need men." Thankfully, it doesn't do this to an extreme degree. The fact that there is a beautiful complementarity between man and woman, which results in our need for one another,*** does not make either sex weak. It simply makes us human. I think one great aspect of the climax of this film is that, as Carol is discovering the lies that have been fed to her, and realizing that she was always strong after all (her strength is not dependent on what the Kree did to her), she does not rise to her feet with the words, "I am woman, hear me roar." Instead, she rises with the ironic twist on the tempter's own words: "I am only human." With all of her womanly strength, she stands up, not just for all woman, but to remind us all of the true strength of humanity. The "genius all her own," of which Saint John Paul II spoke is not something that makes her better or worse than males. It is the particular way in which femininity reveals to the world what it means to be human, to be made in the image and likeness of God.
I think we can learn some things from the way that Captain Marvel emphasizes the strength and dignity of women, hopefully helping some to overcome certain lies to the contrary, while also placing a strong emphasis on relationships. May we not allow the tragedies of sexism throughout the years to cause us to perpetuate the divide against one another and simply shift the direction of our offenses toward one another, so that men are now the ones demoralized - as some modern manifestations of "third-wave feminism" seem to do. Let us instead seek to uphold the dignity of one another and to better understand the unique contribution each has to offer, which helps us all to be the heroes we were made to be. We need one another. Strength is more than independence, and is certainly not found in the lie of self-sufficiency. We were not made to live lonely, isolated existences, taking care of everything on our own. We were made for communion with God and with one another. And I thank God for all the women in my life, throughout Salvation History and a few in fiction, who have helped me better understand this fact.
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