Why Mario Works : Super Mario as Transformative Icon for the Working Class
by Chris Williams and Brady Simenson
ABSTRACT
Nintendo ’ s Mario has transcended the realm of character and sits firmly in the realm of icon . Despite his appearance as a simple working man , nevertheless , just as Mario takes different forms throughout his adventure series , he is also a pliable figure of transformation throughout culture in general . Mario is a transformative and easily adaptable figure in the lineage of silent film stars , but Mario echoes them even further as a specifically transformative hero of the working class , a group who greatly desire the freedom of form that he represents . Thus , it is , perhaps , unsurprising that the 1980s , the era of Mario , would look for something of a solution to the problem of the working class or at least attempt to ameliorate their situation by adding a virtuous component to working hard in order to survive , a kind of heroics that comes along with hard work and economic struggle .
KEYWORDS
Mario , Nintendo , Super Mario Bros ., working class , 1980s , transformation , plasmatic , icon , media representation
Super Mario is arguably the most famous video game character of all time , an icon for Nintendo akin to what Mickey Mouse is for Disney . Beyond his own series of adventure games , he has been inserted into a multitude of other games
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