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An Analysis of Narratology in Mainstream Film Through the Application of Gender Equity Critical Assessment

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An Analysis of Narratology in Mainstream Film Through the Application of Gender Equity Critical Assessment AN ANALYSIS OF NARRATOLOGY IN MAINSTREAM FILM THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF GENDER EQUITY CRITICAL ASSESSMENT Vicki Gagiano Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of English in the Faculty of Arts at Stellenbosch University April 2019 Supervisor: Doctor R. Oppelt Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za DECLARATION By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third-party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it to obtain any qualification. Copyright © 2019 Stellenbosch University. All rights reserved. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION………………………………………………………………….. ii NOTES……………………………………………………………………………. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………. iv ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………. v SUMMARY……………………………………………………………………….. vi CHAPTER 1……………………………………………………………………. 7 INTRODUCTION 1.1 CONTEXTUALISATION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT…………... 7 1.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS……………………………………………… 13 1.3 RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES………………………………. 13 1.4 THESIS STATEMENT…………………………………………………... 14 1.5 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY…………… 15 CHAPTER 2.............................................................................................. 16 THEORETICAL EXPOSITION 2.1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………… 16 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 2.2 CYBERFEMINISM AS ONLINE DISCOURSE……………………….. 16 2.2.1 Why Cyberfeminism?......................................................................... 21 2.2.2 A Brief Overview of the Historical Context of Cyberfeminism………. 26 2.2.3 Cyberfeminism as Online Discourse Today…………………………... 28 2.2.4 The Age of Digital Humanities………………………………………….. 32 2.3 MEASURABILITY IN CYBERFEMINISM…………………………….. 35 2.3.1 Quantifiable Assessments and Measurable Goals of Gender Equity…………………………………………………………. 36 2.4 POWER THEORY AND NARRATOLOGY…………………………… 40 2.4.1 Feminist Narratology: An Overview……………………………………. 40 2.4.2 Power as Related to and Stimulus of Subjectivity (Agency)………… 43 2.5 SPECTATOR THEORY IN FILM AND CYBERFEMINISM…………. 50 2.5.1 Laura Mulvey: Spectator Theory……………………………………….. 50 2.5.2 A Brief Discussion on Intersectionality: Mako Mori in Pacific Rim….. 53 2.6 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………… 55 CHAPTER 3………………………………………………………………….... 56 GENDER BIAS: DISCUSSION OF FEMALE REPRESENTATION 3.1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………. 56 3.2 BRIEF OVERVIEW OF GENDER BIAS & FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN HOLLYWOOD……………………………….. 61 3.3 THE BECHDEL TEST IN CYBERFEMINISM………………………… 65 3.3.1 A Brief Background of the Bechdel Test and the Development of Various Popular Online Media Tests……………………………….. 65 3.3.2 Problematic Aspects of the Bechdel Test……………………………... 72 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 3.4 THE MAKO MORI TEST IN CYBERFEMINISM…………………...... 75 3.4.1 A Brief Analysis of the Mako Mori Test…………………….................. 75 3.4.2 A Focus on the Role of the Narrative Arc in the Mako Mori Test…… 78 3.5 DEVELOPMENT OF THE REVISED MAKO MORI TEST………….. 82 3.5.1 The Revised Mako Mori Test Components…………………………… 82 3.5.2 Primary Focus on a Female Protagonist’s Agency in the Development of the Revised Mako Mori Test…………………. 87 3.6 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………........... 91 CHAPTER 4……………………………………………………………........... 93 STRONG ACTIONS OF FEMALES ASSESSED THROUGH THE REVISED MAKO MORI TEST 4.1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………. 93 4.2 HASKELL AND THE SUPERWOMAN (STRONG ACTION FEMALE) IN SCIENCE FICTION……………………………………… .96 4.2.1 Issues around Strong Action Female Characters…………………..... .99 4.3 MAKO MORI’S CHARACTER ARC IN PACIFIC RIM………………. 101 4.3.1 Fabula Background of the Pacific Rim………………………………... 101 4.3.2 Intersectionality and the need for a Japanese Heroine……………... 103 4.3.3 Power Relations between Mako Mori and Raleigh’s Character Arcs: The Drift as Metaphor for Male-Female Symbiosis beyond Gender…………………………………………………………… 105 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 4.4 IMPERATOR FURIOSA’S CHARACTER ARC IN MAD MAX: FURY ROAD……………………………………………….. 112 4.4.1 Background and Fabula Character of Mad Max: Fury Road……….. 112 4.4.2 The Furiosa Test: The Controversial Threat of Trojan Horse Feminism in Mad Max: Fury Road…………………………………….. 115 4.4.3 Power Relations between Imperator Furiosa and Mad Max’s Character Arcs: Overt and Covert Dominance and Submission……. 118 4.4.4 The Revised Mako Mori Test: Imperator Furiosa’s Character Arc and Power Distribution on the Narrative Arc (Mad Max: Fury Road)………………………………………………….. 122 4.5 ELLEN RIPLEY’S CHARACTER ARC IN ALIENS…………………. 125 4.5.1 Background and Fabula of Aliens……………………………………… 125 4.5.2 Ripley as a Foundationally Strong Action Superwoman (Strong Action Female)…………………………………………………. 128 4.5.3 Power Relations between Ripley and the Male Team Members’ Character Arcs: The Corporate Collective………………... 130 4.5.4 The Revised Mako Mori Test, Ellen Ripley’s Character Arc, and Power Distribution on the Narrative Arc (Aliens)………………… 132 4.6 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………… 137 CHAPTER 5…………………………………………………………………… 141 CONCLUSION REFERENCE LIST……………………………………………………………… 146 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ABSTRACT Gender inequity in the Hollywood film industry highlights the importance of continued feminist film discourse development and analysis. Female representation in film is also assessed through popular media tests in cyberfeminism such as the Bechdel Test as a measurable method of revealing gender inequity. The power dynamics between male and female protagonists result in hierarchical power plays which affect the agency of a female character’s arc. The development of the Revised Mako Mori Test as an alternative popular media test shows the power distribution of the character arc of female characters in film. The analysis of three science fiction female characters namely Mako Mori (Pacific Rim 2013), Imperator Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road 2015), and Ellen Ripley (Aliens 1983), illustrated the impact of a strong narrative arc. The Revised Mako Mori Test indicated that, through the close proximity of a female character’s arc to the narrative arc of the film, her agency is advanced. A strong female protagonist acts as a driving force of a film’s narrative arc if her character arc is continuously developed with consideration of the film’s plot. The Revised Mako Mori Test shows the relevance of assessing the character arc of a female protagonist and how it impacts on female representation in film. Keywords: Gender equity, female representation, strong women, Cyberfeminism, Fourth-Wave feminism, online discourse, digital humanities, narratology, power theory, spectator theory, intersectionality, measurability, agency, subjectivity, the Bechdel Test, the Mako Mori Test, Alien, Pacific Rim, Mad Max: Fury Road. 1 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za OPSOMMING Geslagsongelykheid in Hollywood film onderstreep die belangrikheid van die voortdurende ontwikkeling en analise van feministiese film diskoers. Vroue verteenwoordiging in film word ook deur middel van populêre mediatoetse soos die Bechdel toets in die kuberruimte geassesseer. Die mags-dinamikas tussen mans en vroue protagoniste lei tot hiërargiese magspeling wat daarvolgens ‘n effek op die agentskap van die vrou se karakterboog het. Die ontwikkeling van die Hersiene Mako Mori Toets as ‘n alternatiewe populêre media toets wys die magsverspreiding van die vroue karakter se karakterboog in die film. Die analise van drie wetenskapsfiksie vroulike karakter, naamlik Mako Mori (Pacific Rim 2013), Imperator Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road 2015), en Ellen Ripley (Aliens 1983) illustreer die impak van ‘n sterk karakterboog. Die Hersiene Mako Mori Toets dui, deur middel van die nabyheid van ‘n vroue karakter se karakterboog tot die storielyn-boog, haar gevorderde agentskap aan. ‘n Sterk vroue protagonist is die dryfkrag van ‘n film se storielyn-boog sodra haar karakter voortdurend ontwikkel word met oorweging van die film se storielyn en komplot. Die Hersiene Mako Mori Toets wys die relevansie van die assessering van die karakterboog van ‘n vroue protagonist en die impak op die verteenwoordiging van vroue in film. Sleutelwoorde: Geslagsgelykheid, vroue verteenwoordiging, sterk vroue, Kuberfeminisme, Vierde-golf feminisme, aanlyn diskoers, digitale geesteswetenskappe, narratologie, magsteorie, toeskouerteorie, ras teorie (intersectionality), meetbaarheid, agentskap, subjektiwiteit, die Bechdel Toets, die Mako Mori Toets, Alien, Pacific Rim, Mad Max: Fury Road. 2 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to acknowledge the individuals who contributed to, and who made this thesis possible. I primarily wish to thank my parents, André and Jeanette Cruywagen, for your continued encouragement. Your steadfast emotional support has been a caring embrace, and I wish to ensure you of my absolute gratitude. It is heart- warming to know that no matter what, I could pick up the phone and discuss my work and wellbeing with you. You are remarkable parents. I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Riaan Oppelt for his wisdom and sensible guidance, but mostly for allowing my ideas to blossom unreservedly. I appreciate your valuable input and willingness to have allowed me to grow in my capacity as an academic student. I humbly
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