For Monday: Bailey, “Teenagers from Outer Space” (pp.27-55)

 

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: How might this story be a version of Superman if instead of one alien, a hundred aliens descended on Smallville? How can we tell that both Bailey and Landis (Superman: American Alien) are sharing the same conversation about the acceptance “others” in the heart of America?

Q2: The entire story is told from Nancy Miller’s viewpoint, and by her own admission, “much of what follows is reconstructed from second-hand reports, with all the bias and self-interest inherent in such accounts” (29). Do we trust her version of events? Is there anyplace where it seems she adds her own bias or opinions into the mix? Or does she help us see the limitations of others’ biases and values?

Q3: Writing about Johnny (who is proclaimed as a hero after the aliens leave town), Nancy says, “Maybe he thought he was innocent, courageous, whatever...People do it all the time. People want to be blameless. People want to be brave” (47-48). Who is the hero of this story? If this is a traditional aliens vs. humans story, who “saved the world”? For the reader, who is most brave and selfless? And why might the people telling the story later not see this?

Q4: How might this story be a metaphor for women growing up in American society, especially in the 1950’s? What might Bailey mean that every woman has to choose between “freedom” and “slavery,” or “aliens” and “duty”? Why might he also explain why Joan makes the decision she does?