“Deconstruction” literally means “to take something apart”.

A deconstruction involves taking a familiar story or work of art and changing it to create new themes or messages. Often it is done to modernize a story.

Part of the process is to take apart the source material to better understand its meaning and relevance to us in real life. This takes the form of questioning “How would this story play out with real life consequences applied to it?” Then the new piece can be crafted with this consideration in mind. 

Take the elements popular story (or a set of characters) and reshape them into a modern narrative that delivers a relevant message or highlights a familiar situation or concern. 

Below is an example I wrote using the Marvel family of Green Arrow…

Raising Speedy (a poem for Green Arrow and Black Canary)

I wish I had more to give him 

We make ends meet

But the ends don’t always justify the means

I used to be part of the 1 percent

He could’ve had whatever he wanted then

Now I got 99 problems but a…

There are certain words you don’t say

When your wife’s scream can be deafening

Her response deadly

Let’s just say I don’t worry about whose got my back

I worry about him

I been trying to arrow this green for a minute

Know I break his heart with no

Hope he keeps making a speedy recovery

Our conversations get so heated

Unrelenting

An archer knows how to stick to the point

He wants prom to be the best time ever

I just want it to be able to affordable

Does he understand why we love Target

Why I dress in Arrow shirt and tie and sit at a desk everyday

I told him to get a part time at Michael’s

Only way working a bow can help put food on the table

He wants his prom night with Donna to be special

I wonder how that girl lassoed his heart like that

I keep looking for a flaw

Seems she keeps them invisible

She says his name like exotic fruit from the amazon

Roy

When she does he smiles like an arsenal of explosives

Now he frowns like broken promises

Tux rental, shoes

Don’t he get enough of wearing costumes

Pictures, dinner

I guess that’s a better night out than fighting crime

But the boy aint got no real job

Vigilantes works for less than minimum wage

Extended curfew?

I can’t have him vulnerable for that long

So I tell him

No limo

Here are keys to the car

Be careful

Home by midnight

Or you’ll have to suffer your step mother’s scream