The Amazon female archetype in mainstream cinema: narrative analysis

Abstract

EN : The paper focuses on narrative analysis of the language used by seven female characters in Englishlanguage mass culture films: Alice (Alice in Wonderland, 2010), Margaret “Peggy” Carter (Captain America, 2011), Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau (Captain Marvel, 2019), Okoye (Black Panther, 2018 and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, 2022), Judy Hopps (Zootopia, 2016), and Diana Prince (Wonder Woman, 2017). The research is based on Jung’s idea of the archetype as a recurring image of the collective unconscious, Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs (defining the individuals’ motives), and Schmidt’s typology of fiction archetypes. The paper focuses on the turns of the characters representing the Amazon archetype. Out of human needs, defined by Maslow, the Amazon archetype is governed by the needs for (self)respect and self-actualization. As the needs are satisfied, the characters belong to the protagonist group. Schmidt defines that the Amazon’s function is to fight patriarchy and prove that women are equal to men in all situations. As a rule, the Amazon is depicted in fields of activity where women are represented relatively little: the characters are superheroines (Carol Danvers and Diana Prince), dragon slayers (Alice), fighter jet pilots (Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau), army generals (Okoye), secret service agents (Margaret Carter) and police officers (Judy Hopps). The archetype might serve as a vehicle for the development of the character’s arc and, respectively, be part of the image of the main character (in the case of Carol Danvers, Judy Hopps, and Diana Prince); it might be the basis of the image of the main (Alice and Margaret Carter) or secondary female protagonist (in the case of Okoye and Maria Rambeau). Narratives characteristic of the Amazon archetype are those about the fight for truth, justice, equality, freedom, independence, justice, (self)respect, achievement, recognition, self-realization, and self-actualization.