College is a period of life in which a vast horizon of experience is set before us to explore. From philosophy, psychology, history and the arts to mathematics, physics and cosmology, we're given the opportunity to discover new ways of thinking, new experiences and new paths to explore. In literature, I discovered Herman Hesse and Kurt Vonnegut. In theater I discovered Ionesco's Rhinoceros and a relatively unknown play called Superman in the Bones. The latter especially made an impression on me.
The upheavals in philosophy during the twentieth century produced unanticipated disruptions that influenced all the disciplines. Superman in the Bones is an evocative response to this, exploring resilience, grief, and the lasting impact of historical trauma on individuals and communities.
For decades I searched for the play so I could read it and understand its impact on me personally. Today, upon finding a summary of the play and its themes, I recognized why it made such an impression on me. The arc of Superman in the Bones follows a journey of reckoning with grief, trauma, and resilience. For me that trauma was the death of a very close friend.
What follows is pulled from a summary of the play and its themes.
The play opens with a vivid sense of history's weight on the characters—personal, familial, or communal. The metaphor of "Superman in the bones" is introduced, symbolizing hidden strength within fragility. An inciting event—a death, discovery, or confrontation—shakes the status quo, compelling the characters to face their pain and search for meaning.
Through memories, dialogues, or symbolic scenes, the play explores the characters’ inner worlds. The weight of the past impacts the characters' relationships, creating tension between isolation and the need for connection. The characters begin to grapple with the idea of resilience, questioning societal expectations of heroism and whether they can live up to these ideals.
The turning point is a moment of crisis which forces the characters to confront their deepest fears, vulnerabilities, or unresolved losses. The crisis results in an emotional catharsis in which the characters either break under the weight of their grief or begin to transform it. (Is this what Adam Driver is experiencing midway through Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis?)
In the aftermath, the characters begin to integrate their grief and trauma into their lives, finding a sense of balance. The strength implied by the "Superman in the bones" metaphor begins to manifest—not as invulnerability but as a nuanced, hard-won form of resilience.
The play concludes with a sense of hope, not in forgetting the past but in learning to live with its legacy. The story closes with a moment that affirms connection, hope, or the enduring spirit of humanity despite the weight of tragedy. Essentially it is a story about moving from despair to a hard-earned sense of meaning.
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