What virtues does Superman represent?

Answer 1

This question is deeper than it looks. Superman represents a lot of things:

He represents America, and by that I mean the simpler, nobler America, when being an American meant you felt like it was your job to look out for the smaller, weaker guys, to never look the other way when somebody did something wrong to somebody else, to always help out no matter how busy you are (and boy oh boy is he ever busy!), to treat your fellow citizens like members of a proud family, and to shoulder the burdens of society with a sense of pride, responsibility and teamwork.

He represents telling the truth, and respecting your parents, and doing your homework because it's the right thing to do and not because you'll get yelled at if you don't, and finishing your vegetables because there are starving people on the other side of the world, and helping old ladies cross the street, and being polite.

He represents hard work and sacrifice. Sure, it's really hard to beat Superman, but it can be done, and has been done, and every time, Superman came back, because he's willing to sacrifice himself for every one on his adopted planet.

Simply said, Superman represents the potential for the very best in all of us.