Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
12-1-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Communication
First Advisor
Gregory Selber
Second Advisor
Linda Belau
Third Advisor
Kimberly Selber
Abstract
This thesis explores an emerging myth perceived by the rise of the feminine principle in modern society that challenges traditional gender roles. It forms a connection between the heroines seen in film and those in the real-world. It explains how the characteristics of unity, equality and love align to the feminine principle, the acquisition of which defines the archetypal hero along the hero’s journey as described by Joseph Campbell. This work proposes that stories containing this kind of archetypal hero are seeded by the discourse occurring in real-world society. Conversely, it suggests that when viewed by billions of people, blockbuster films can influence perceptions effecting the collective consciousness, further impacting societal discourse. Critical and rhetorical discourse analysis were conducted in films that featured archetypal heroines to interpret storyline messages communicated through film. These results were discussed in context to the social-political discourse observed in modern day. The implications suggest that the storylines in film may not only be reflections of societal circumstances but can also serve to bring those storyline values into reality through their influence on the audiences they reach, potentially shaping societal discourse about equality.
Recommended Citation
Gonzales, Neldie, "The Heroine Among Us: An Analysis of the Feminine Principle of the Heroine Archetype in Motion Pictures and Its Implication for Social Discourse" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 1637.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/1637
Comments
Copyright 2024 Neldie Gonzales.
This graduate work has been published as open access.https://proquest.com/docview/3153338564