"He says aloud, 'Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot. I must be a creature of the night. I shall become a bat.' It is at once the silliest and most profound thing he has ever uttered."

In February of 2023, my comic-enthusiast best friend inspired me to read the iconic Batman arc from 2005, “Under the Red Hood.” From there, I took the plunge into the never-ending pool of DC content with the help of my local comic book shop. The universe completely blew me away for two reasons: its elaborate framework of moral philosophy, and the Batman narrative’s incredible flair for storytelling.

Growing up, we forge ideas of right and wrong based on how actions around us make us feel. Because everyone grows up under specific circumstances, we have conditioned expectations we levy against ourselves and others. Ethics is the subcategory of philosophy that puts these ideas into exact terms and helps us develop parameters for how to go about living. From picking cereal brands to choosing friends, understanding ethics makes me confident in my decisions. My dad majored in philosophy, and I’m currently the vice president of my school’s philosophy club. When I want to broaden my moral horizons, I have a big circle of open-minded critical thinkers I can talk to. Being in this community enhanced my perspective on life and allowed me to view my world with a wide lens, and I’ve developed a passion for using this skill to analyze text.

In DC, Bruce Wayne is a victim of the brutal, systemic violence prevalent in Gotham City due to the disparity between the lower and upper classes. He utilized his fear and anger to manifest Batman, the embodiment of his principles who fights crime and corruption in Gotham. The character’s most notable principle is his value on life: he refuses to use permanent means to stop crime. Readers and in-universe characters have questioned this boundary perpetually, myself included. In “Under the Red Hood,” this controversy reaches a climax: would simply killing the mass-murdering Gotham Rogues make a safer world—and if it would, is committing homicide to do so justifiable?

Subsequently, I’ve spent hours mapping the flaws of utilitarianism and learning about how in societies with extreme wealth disparities, crime and capitalism have a causal relationship. This summer, I came to an eye-opening conclusion while playing Sudoku in a Barnes & Noble check-out line: Batman is a perpetrator of violent civil disobedience, as well as a symbol of hope and justice in an unjust, desperate society. At the end of the day, Batman functions more effectively as a symbol than as a vengeful vigilante.

The first Batman issue was published in the context of Europe hurtling towards World War II in early 1939, the character’s concept changing as writers understood what they needed to put out into the world. The “No Killing” policy was established after the war started because writers knew that during a desolate time, young readers and comic fans didn’t need the story of a vindictive billionaire—they needed hope. Batman’s non-lethal means of protection aren’t a refusal to see the value of permanence, but a reflection of faith in the city that raised him. By conveying this, writers effectively passed on a staunch belief in second chances and a better future to the people on their darkest night. The overwhelming morals and faith of a character donning a bat-shaped cowl changed the perspective of a nation, and therefore, its philosophy.

Storytelling is more than an occupation. The ability to portray a narrative in a captivating, coherent, poignant fashion is power. I revere it. A good allusion or juxtaposition creates emotional ties between the reader, the narrative, and other people. Through great wonder or great tragedy, storytelling inspires understanding and empathy—a movement I want to have a part in because I want to see the perspective of this nation change. I want to live in a world that can identify right versus wrong, in a world that extends empathy, in a world that values people, and I believe the key to making this reality is storytelling.