Introduction
The story of Superdisappointed is about the difficulties of becoming the first Ojibwe superhero. Kyle is pleased at first when he gains powers on his own and tries to make the world a better place. From beginning to end, the Kyle tale is full of contradictions. Kyle was simply an ordinary guy in a relationship before getting superpowers, but everything changed when he gained them. His lover Raymond was disappointed because he would not blend his old life with a new one. While attempting to play the role of a superhero, Kyle encountered a slew of new issues, each of which grew increasingly frustrating. He merely wanted to assist others, but he was turned down because of the harm that the superhero’s actions created. Drew Hayden Taylor explains how systemic impediments lead to disillusionment and deterioration through the rising impediments in Kyle’s path and his interactions with others.
Arguments and Analysis
Barriers Created Impact on Kyle
Throughout history, Kyle encounters various barriers that have upset him throughout history. One such case was when Kyle was forbidden to fly, to use one of his superpowers. Kyle wanted to conduct errands in the city, so he hitchhiked instead of flying, which was one of his abilities. What would be a short day for a superhero would take him the entire day. He was picked up by a motorist who recognized him, was aware of his talents, and inquired why he was not flying. Kyle explained an accident he had and how his superpower was revoked as a result: “…I am pretty sure it was only three- near-collisions. The driver made a hard right turn, and all the refuse on the floor seemed to shift and slide … Since then, I have been asked not to fly within the county lines, under penalty law” (122-3). It shows that he cant use the superpowers that he was given due to his past close encounters.
Since becoming a superhero, Kyle has been involved in various cases. “Ms. Staebler went over a laundry list of complaints, lawsuits, and cases” (127). A bank was suing him just down the street for destroying a wall and a vault while foiling a bank heist. Their insurance did not appear to cover actions of superhuman power. And then there were the Gilmans, who blamed him for their elderly father’s heart attack after witnessing him fly for the first time. It demonstrates how he tried everything he could to serve the community, but they all saw him as a horrible guy. As a result, he cannot utilize his abilities due to his long list of legal cases. Kyle’s gradual decline once becomes a hero.
Having received superpowers, Kyle was inspired to do good deeds, but his first attempts were crowned with failure, making a wrong impression on the locals. “When Kyle had first manifested superpowers, he had wanted to use them for good, like all the traditional superheroes he had grown up reading about. Save damsels in distress, stop planes from crashing, shore up cracked dams, help kittens down from trees- all the normal stuff like that. That was his goal, anyway. But they are called goals because they may be aimed for but not necessarily achieved. Something he was now bitterly aware of” (127). He reasoned that the world might not be ready for all of the social, legal, and moral ramifications of a genuine, real-life superhero. It shows how he should be happy and loved by his community for what he can do; instead, it brought him grief and trouble. Kyle tries to see the implications under the statements addressed to him, which only frustrates him more.
Kyle, a Canadian citizen, wanted to devote his entire heroic life to saving the city, but the Canadians did not accept Kyle because of the danger of his superpowers. “After so many decades of trying to force their way into Canadian society by saying they as First Nations people were no different from and deserved the same rights as all Canadians, somebody like Kyle Muncy came along and threw a wrench into that argument” (127). It demonstrates how the First Nations community battled so hard as a unit to be seen as equal to the rest of Canada. Now that Kyle has superpowers, instead of assisting another community member, they remove him as if he does not belong. He feels unhappy and lonely as a result of this.
How Kyle’s Relationships with Others are Negatively Impacted
Kyle had a regular life before gaining his superpowers, and he was in a relationship with Raymond, but when he gained his new skills, his previous life vanished. “What do I know, Kyle, what? That you had your chance? God knows you have had a million chances to share me with the world. You could not fart without it making the media. And now, to tell you the truth, I do not know if I want you to acknowledge me. It is too late.” “Look, Ray, I can only come out of so many closets at once. I came out of the superhero close when all this stuff happened to me and told the world who and what I was, and look what happened. It became a circus. If I tell people I am gay, too… Well, things will go crazy again” (125). It demonstrates how he was happy with Raymond for a long time before becoming a superhero and losing his greatest love since there was too much going on around him, and he did not want Ray to become involved.
Kyle’s life changed so much that she did not turn away from him, “even his community distanced itself from him” (128). The damage caused to the city was naturally assessed poorly, and Kyle could not cope with the oppression from the locals.
“Of course, the children’s rights group, which held him responsible for all the injuries suffered by many children trying to imitate him flying, going through walls, stopping cars and bullets. The list was huge” (128). It shows how his superpowers affect his relationship with the community. Nobody sees good in what he can do.
Conclusion
The Kyle story is filled with conflicting things from start to finish. Before gaining powers, Kyle was just a regular person in a relationship, but as soon as he got superhero abilities, his life changed. He will not combine his old life with a new one, and his beloved Raymond was upset because of this. Trying himself the role of a superhero, Kyle began to face many new problems, which each time more and more frustrated him. He only wanted to help people, but they rejected him because of the harm caused by the superhero’s work. The story’s theme is disillusionment due to differences; a system was created not to thrive but instead be diminished because of many barriers.
Work Cited
Hayden Taylor, Drew. Superdisappointed. Douglas & McIntyre, 2016.