Reasons MCU Howard Stark was an Ashkenazi Jew
magpieandwhale:
whatagrump:
Secular Jewish, but still Jewish.
Always remember that the original writers and artists of Marvel were Jews. They were Lieber and Kurtzberg before they were Lee and Kirby. Joe Simon was Hymie Simon. Their narratives are, in my opinion, inherently Jewish ones, and acting like the original Marvel characters (with the exception of Ben Grimm) must be Christian because that’s the dominant religion in the US is kind of silly.
Stark is typically a German surname, but that included plenty of Jews. The word שטאַרק (shtark) is a Yiddish variation of the word “stark”, meaning “strong”, and a quick google search indicates that it would not be unusual for a German Jew to carry this name.
Howard was named for his father, Howard Sr., who lived in America. I’m going to assume that his grandfather was an immigrant, although their legacy in America could go back further. It seems likely then that his grandfather immigrated sometime in the mid-19th century.
Howard is certainly not a Jewish name, but neither is my own grandfather’s. Plenty of Jewish families gave their children “American” names. See this post for more detail.
He worked on the Manhattan Project-since he’s a fictional character, we should draw parallels between Howard and the actual scientists involved. The most famous would be J. Robert Oppenheimer (Jewish). Then there’s Leó Szilárd (Jewish) and Albert Einstein (Jewish), who penned the Einstein-Szilárd letter together. Generally, these are agnostic or atheist Jews. Einstein actually remarked on the number of Jewish scientists he worked alongside during this period.
Watching him testify before congress in Agent Carter, I couldn’t help but think of the ease with which American politicians have accused Jewish-Americans of being traitors to the country. Yes, the show is also evoking the Howard Hughes Senate hearings, but those hearings were not about Hughes’ loyalties, they were about his use of government funding.
I do not enjoy World War II narratives that don’t include Jewish characters (Dr. Abraham Erskine is never confirmed to be Jewish), and the first Captain America film essentially skirts over the Holocaust in its depiction of the war.
I like Jewish or half-Jewish characters who make people go “oh no they can’t be Jewish” because I want everyone to know about their secret prejudice.
Why the fuck not.
Howard Stark who can’t walk away from the future Anna Jarvis.
Howard Stark who runs headlong into the world of WASP-y wealth and says fuck you to all of it.
Howard Stark who must be the very best mind in the room in order to be even remotely accepted.
Howard Stark who says fuck you, I can build it.
Howard Stark, who takes on the problem of an imperfect body and gives America its perfect man.
Howard Stark, who is so easily believed a traitor and a cheat and a profiteer and a bad man, a man only out for himself.
Howard Stark, who, even when he tells his closest friend about the secret he carries, the secret hope he has to make the world better with his gifts, even in penance for Rebirth, for the bomb, is told that he’s only out for himself, that psychically, he has a stink, that he’ll always betray when he can come out on top.
Oh my god, tell me more about this Howard Stark, who marries a woman named Maria and names his son Anthony and runs to California to only ever be Howard Stark, genius billionaire playboy philanthropist.
Tell me more about this Howard Stark, who grew up just one stop along the F train, just on the other side of the river from Bucky and Steve.
Posted in full at: http://eemilyvr1.tumblr.com/post/110776774571
whatagrump:
Secular Jewish, but still Jewish.
Always remember that the original writers and artists of Marvel were Jews. They were Lieber and Kurtzberg before they were Lee and Kirby. Joe Simon was Hymie Simon. Their narratives are, in my opinion, inherently Jewish ones, and acting like the original Marvel characters (with the exception of Ben Grimm) must be Christian because that’s the dominant religion in the US is kind of silly.
Stark is typically a German surname, but that included plenty of Jews. The word שטאַרק (shtark) is a Yiddish variation of the word “stark”, meaning “strong”, and a quick google search indicates that it would not be unusual for a German Jew to carry this name.
Howard was named for his father, Howard Sr., who lived in America. I’m going to assume that his grandfather was an immigrant, although their legacy in America could go back further. It seems likely then that his grandfather immigrated sometime in the mid-19th century.
Howard is certainly not a Jewish name, but neither is my own grandfather’s. Plenty of Jewish families gave their children “American” names. See this post for more detail.
He worked on the Manhattan Project-since he’s a fictional character, we should draw parallels between Howard and the actual scientists involved. The most famous would be J. Robert Oppenheimer (Jewish). Then there’s Leó Szilárd (Jewish) and Albert Einstein (Jewish), who penned the Einstein-Szilárd letter together. Generally, these are agnostic or atheist Jews. Einstein actually remarked on the number of Jewish scientists he worked alongside during this period.
Watching him testify before congress in Agent Carter, I couldn’t help but think of the ease with which American politicians have accused Jewish-Americans of being traitors to the country. Yes, the show is also evoking the Howard Hughes Senate hearings, but those hearings were not about Hughes’ loyalties, they were about his use of government funding.
I do not enjoy World War II narratives that don’t include Jewish characters (Dr. Abraham Erskine is never confirmed to be Jewish), and the first Captain America film essentially skirts over the Holocaust in its depiction of the war.
I like Jewish or half-Jewish characters who make people go “oh no they can’t be Jewish” because I want everyone to know about their secret prejudice.
Why the fuck not.
Howard Stark who can’t walk away from the future Anna Jarvis.
Howard Stark who runs headlong into the world of WASP-y wealth and says fuck you to all of it.
Howard Stark who must be the very best mind in the room in order to be even remotely accepted.
Howard Stark who says fuck you, I can build it.
Howard Stark, who takes on the problem of an imperfect body and gives America its perfect man.
Howard Stark, who is so easily believed a traitor and a cheat and a profiteer and a bad man, a man only out for himself.
Howard Stark, who, even when he tells his closest friend about the secret he carries, the secret hope he has to make the world better with his gifts, even in penance for Rebirth, for the bomb, is told that he’s only out for himself, that psychically, he has a stink, that he’ll always betray when he can come out on top.
Oh my god, tell me more about this Howard Stark, who marries a woman named Maria and names his son Anthony and runs to California to only ever be Howard Stark, genius billionaire playboy philanthropist.
Tell me more about this Howard Stark, who grew up just one stop along the F train, just on the other side of the river from Bucky and Steve.
Posted in full at: http://eemilyvr1.tumblr.com/post/110776774571