How Captain America Embodies the Spirit of the United States’ Best Self Due to an Unbending Moral Code

In a valorous episode of the incredibly insightful video series ScreenPrism, narrators Debra Minoff and Susannah McCullough talk about how the character of Captain America (Cap), as portrayed by Chris Evans, embodies the spirit of the country’s best self by sticking close to his unbending moral code.

As the character evolves on film from an anachronism who came from a gentler time to a staunch individualist unyielding to authority, his staunch distrust of government allows him to stand above the rest. This admirable patriotic stoicism has been with Cap throughout his various lives.

What becomes so interesting about Cap is the way he brings this traditional ‘good versus bad’ guys mentality into the 21st century. He can’t shake values his wartime experiences have instilled in him, a strict view of right and wrong a commitment to fighting evil and a wariness of any person amassing too much power…He affirms that dissent can be patriotic serving your country means different things in different times sometimes it’s falling in line and other times it’s challenging tyranny…

They also talk more about Chris Evans, the actor who plays Cap, particularly how he expresses his idealism and need for justice through social media.

Chris Evans’ public persona adds another interesting reflection of what it means to act like Captain America in our modern life…Evans’ political tweets reinforce the idea of speaking up when you think your country is moving in a direction you don’t agree with. His political consciousness seems very in line with Cap’s stance in the ‘Winter Soldier’. That maintaining American values means going against powerful institutions that have taken a wrong turn.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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