Wonder Woman and Her Societal Backdrop

Similar to Cian's post and many others, I noticed the contradiction of Wonder Woman as a powerful female figure and the portrayal of her and other women in the comics. This contradiction fascinates me, and I think that in it we can see how Marsten's view of women was evolving at the time. The way that the other women and the societal background Wonder Woman is presented in is stereotypical and flat, not unlike the way the panels are drawn. The women portrayed in the comic are shoved into the panels for little respect for who they actually are. Because of this they often end up as tropes (Etta Candy) and as single aspects of a human being (pretty and strong). Marsten's recognition of Wonder Woman as a powerful individual is clear- because as we said in class, there are definitely salvagable moments. But because he lacks the understanding (and the concurring societal reflection) that views women as something other than ornamental pieces for the consumption of the masculine gaze, the beginning Wonder Woman becomes transformed into simply a louder, punchier decoration. She is the kind of woman whose intellect and strength is derided as something "cute."

As repeated multiple times, Wonder Woman was a big step forward for the time, and we have to remember that when we go back and read it. It was a step forward. Going off the idea that something is better than nothing, even with all her flaws, Wonder Woman still inspired girls around the US to dream big. We still have a lot of work to do to convince people that Wonder Woman, and her female compatriots, are deadly serious.