Importance of 'Superman'

'Superman' was a Nietzschean idea which influenced many nationalists such as D'Annunzio, whom Mishra frequently mentions in his book. The 'superman' is an “individual authorized by his successful self-overcoming personality to scorn ordinary mortals and their conventional morality” (255). The concept entailed a will to power which meant that the 'superman' would effectively rise above other men and surpass them, while engaging in war or violence along the way if necessary. Maxim Gorky, too, was a follower of Nietzsche and greatly hoped a Russian 'superman' would one day liberate the masses of Russia.