Editor’s Note: Jonathan Ladewig is a Newton High School senior who is working with Newton Daily News through the NCSD Cardinal Career Connections internship program. Jonathan is interested in a future in publishing. He’s interested in the analogies that can be drawn between comic book/film superheroes and real-world issues.
“Black Panther” is one of the largest grossing superhero movies of all time, and for good reason. Black Panther tackles a lot of topics that can be tough to handle like racism and oppression; however, one of the themes that the movie version of “Black Panther” has is this idea of isolation.
T’Challa, and his alter ego Black Panther, has to ask himself in all of his encounters what is more important: helping out the rest of the world, or making sure his home country, Wakanda, is safe.
One of the arguments for staying isolated is it is the way Wakanda has always conducted itself as a nation. As Okoye states in the movie “Wakanda has survived for so long by fighting when only absolutely necessary.” According to Okoye, Wakanda needs to be isolated to stay safe. Wakanda is home to a lot of Vibranium, one of the strongest metals in the Marvel Universe. To keep it out of the wrong hands, the ancestors isolated themselves. That’s what T’Challa’s ancestors saw as right and that’s what he is told he should do.
Looking at the power Wakanda has it can be seen why they may stay isolated. If it’s advanced technology were to be put into the wrong hands, like the ancestors were worried about, it would be devastating. This idea is reinforced in Black Panther’s mind when Ulysses Klaw breaks into Wakanda, kills his people, and steals Vibranium to sell to arms dealers. T’Challa sees this man as the shining example of why the world shouldn’t see Wakanda and it’s power.
A different way of viewing Wakanda’s isolation is seeing it as them turning their backs on the international community while everyone else suffers. Killmonger — the film’s main villain — is a strong believer of this viewpoint. Killmonger heard the stories of all the power Wakanda has, but seeing the unfair treatment of African Americans in the United States, growing up in the slums showed him how little Wakanda does. He spends the rest of the movie trying to help free the oppressed by using Wakanda’s power. The movie doesn’t hate the motives, it hates the actions.
So what does T’Challa actually choose? Well, he chooses both.
Black Panther’s first appearance in Marvel Comics wasn’t even in Wakanda. He debuted in a Fantastic Four issue, away from Wakanda. Later on, after T’Challa joins the Avengers, he needs to return home. Much like in the movie, his throne was threatened and the people of Wakanda were on the brink of civil war. He chose Wakanda over everything else but still returned and helped the Avengers. He’s active in both the world and Wakanda.
This conflict between acting and not acting is one very similar to that which the U.S. has faced. Before the U.S. was a superpower, it was isolated. It didn’t want anything to do with other countries. Even after America became a superpower it had troubles wanting to engage in other countries’ conflicts. For example, it took the bombing of Pearl Harbor to get America involved in World War II. Nowadays, it may seem like America is too involved with other countries, but it didn’t start like that and, frankly, it shouldn’t end like that.
Like T’Challa helping both his country and the world, America should do the same. But also like T’Challa, America needs to make sure its own people are well off first.
Even deeper than America’s interaction with the world, this idea of isolationism can be viewed on a personal level. I know for myself, it can be daunting to help someone I don’t know. It can even be hard to help someone I do know. Even if someone just looks to be having a rough day, it can be difficult to sit down and talk with that person. But looking at Black Panther, he chooses to help.
Time and time again T’Challa helps others. When faced with a choice he will always choose Wakanda, but he will never stop fighting for others. He will never stop helping, and neither should we.