Superhero movies have been the biggest money-making machine in recent years. Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Iron man all have been successful movies and all protagonists have been male. This work aims to examine the role of women in superhero movies and how they have changed. This work also differentiates between women as the main character and women in superhero teams like "The Avengers".
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The Damsel in distress
- Women as Superheroes
- Female Superheroes as the main character
- Female Superheroes as part of a team
- Female Superpowers vs. Male Superpowers
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This term paper aims to analyze the role of women in superhero movies, examining their portrayal and exploring why female superheroes have not achieved the same level of success as their male counterparts. The paper will delve into the representation of women in superhero movies and their potential contributions to the genre.
- The portrayal of women in superhero movies, specifically focusing on their roles as damsels in distress and their evolution over time.
- The analysis of female superheroes, both as main characters and as members of superhero teams, exploring their challenges and achievements.
- The comparison of female and male superpowers, examining the potential reasons for the differing power dynamics.
- The exploration of how the "mythos of patriarchy" influences the portrayal of women in superhero movies.
- The identification of the factors that have hindered the success of female superheroes compared to their male counterparts.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter establishes the context of the study, outlining the historical evolution of the superhero genre and the increasing popularity of superhero movies. It highlights the limited research on the role of women in these films and emphasizes the focus on analyzing various superhero movies as primary sources. The chapter also defines the concept of a "superhero" and clarifies the scope of the study.
- The Damsel in distress: This chapter delves into the traditional portrayal of women as supporting characters in superhero movies, specifically examining the "damsel in distress" trope. The chapter analyzes the roles of Lois Lane in "Superman" (1978) and April O'Neil in "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles" (2014), highlighting their characteristics, motivations, and the ways in which they are depicted as strong yet ultimately needing to be rescued by the hero. It emphasizes the persistence of this trope even in contemporary films.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main focus of this study revolves around the portrayal of women in superhero movies, specifically analyzing their roles, powers, and challenges. The paper uses a variety of sources, including movies, comic books, and online articles, to explore the themes of gender roles, patriarchy, and the evolution of female characters in the superhero genre.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Lucia Vitzthum (Autor:in), 2015, Gender Roles in Superhero Movies, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/355204